7choumia حشومية
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“7choumia” (حشومية) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning shy (feminine).
Meanings
- shy (feminine)
- bashful, modest
Usage
Feminine form of 7chchoumi, "shy". It describes a reserved girl or woman who lowers her eyes or doesn't dare speak up. The phrase dayra fiha 7chchoumiya means "playing the shy one": it is often used teasingly for someone who acts reserved without really being so. To talk about shyness itself, one rather says l-7chouma. The register is informal and common. The plural 7chchoumiyin is used for both genders.
Example
دايرا فيها حشومية
dayra fiha 7choumia
“You're playing the shy one.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7choumia” but also “7chchoumiya”, “7choumiya”, “hchoumia” and “7chchoumia”. 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.