y7awess يحوس
Algerian Darja · verb
“y7awess” (يحوس) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to look for (with 3la).
Meanings
- to look for (with 3la)
- to stroll, to wander around
- to make do with, to take care of
Usage
Y7awes is the present-tense form. The past is 7awes and the imperative is 7awes. Built with 3la, it means "to look for": rani n7awes 3la khedma (I'm looking for work). Used alone, it means "to stroll" or "to go for a walk": khrejt n7awes (I went out for a stroll). The corresponding noun is t7wis (a stroll). With b-, it can indicate making do with something or taking care of it: y7awes b sa7tou. The register is common and familiar. Do not confuse it with "to fetch" in the sense of going to pick someone up (French "chercher"), which is rather jib.
Example
راني نحوس على خدمة في العاصمة
rani n7awes 3la khedma fel 3assima
“I'm looking for a job in Algiers.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “y7awess”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.