l7a9ach لحقاش
Moroccan Darija · conjunction
“l7a9ach” (لحقاش) is a conjunction in Moroccan Darija meaning because, since.
Meanings
- because, since
- why (in some questions)
Usage
L7a9ach introduces a cause, like "because". It is heard mostly in certain regions, notably the North and around Fès. Elsewhere people tend to say "7it", "7itach" or "7qach". It comes at the start of the causal clause, with no other particle: "ma jitch l7a9ach kont mrid" (I didn't come because I was sick). In answer to "3lach?" (why?), it can be used on its own, followed by the explanation. The register is informal and spoken. Don't confuse it with the verb "l7e9" (to catch up), which has nothing to do with this meaning.
Example
ما جيتش لحقاش كنت مريض
ma jitch l7a9ach kont mrid
“I didn't come because I was sick.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “l7a9ach” but also “l7aqach”, “la7a9ach”, “l7aqqach” and “la7aqach”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.