7arr حارّ
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“7arr” (حارّ) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning spicy, hot (food).
Meanings
- spicy, hot (food)
- fiery, burning the mouth
Usage
7arr describes a dish or ingredient that stings the mouth: chili, harissa, sauce, an overly spicy tajine. It does not mean heat in the sense of temperature, for which you say skhoun. An English speaker who says "hot" for a spicy dish should therefore choose 7arr, not skhoun. The feminine is 7arra, the plural 7arrin. It is heard in phrases like "7arr bzzaf" (very spicy) or "bla 7arr" (without chili). The question "wach 7arr?" (is it spicy?) is common at restaurants or at the table.
Example
هاد الطاجين حارّ بزاف
had tajine 7arr bzzaf
“This tajine is very spicy.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7arr” but also “7ar”, “harr” and “har”. 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.
Type “7arr” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “spicy, hot (food)”; “to be at a loss”: 7ar in Tunisian.