chaja3a شجاعة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“chaja3a” (شجاعة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning courage, bravery.
Meanings
- courage, bravery
Usage
Chaja3a is the noun corresponding to choja3. It means bravery in the face of danger, but also the nerve needed to say or do something difficult. Common constructions are 3endo chaja3a, "he has courage", and b chaja3a, "with courage". The register is neutral, slightly refined. In speech, people often say lqelb or nnefs instead for someone who "has guts". The word is frequently used in praise.
Example
خاصك الشجاعة باش تقولها ليه
khassek chaja3a bach tgoulha lih
“You need courage to tell him.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chaja3a” but also “chajaa3a”, “chaja3”, “shaja3a” and “chaja3aa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.