7lawa حلاوة

Moroccan Darija · noun

“7lawa” (حلاوة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning candy, sweet treat.

Meanings

1. candy, sweet treat
2. sweetness, sweet taste
3. charm, pleasantness

Usage

7lawa first means candy or a sweet treat: you buy "7lawa" for children at the grocery. The plural "7lawiyat" is used for pastries and cakes in general, especially festive ones. The word also expresses sweetness, the sugary taste of a fruit or dish, and figuratively the charm of a person or situation: "fih wa7d l7lawa". A pleasant person can be called "7lawa" affectionately. Common register, very frequent in daily life.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7lawa” but also “hlawa”, “7alawa” and “halawa”. 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 “7lawa” on the Arabic keyboard

In Algerian Darja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “charm, what makes something enjoyable”; “sweetness, sweet taste”: hlawa in Algerian.

In Tunisian Derja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “sweetness, sweet taste”; “charm, pleasantness”: 7lewa in Tunisian.