3ach عاش
Tunisian Derja · verb
“3ach” (عاش) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to live.
Meanings
- to live
- to reside, dwell
- to get by, make a living
Usage
3ach (present: y3ich) means to live, in the sense of being alive, going through a situation or residing somewhere: "y3ich fi Fransa" (he lives in France). It is also used for means of subsistence: "bech n3ichou" (so that we can live). Note that the very common "y3aychek" is a formula of thanks meaning "thank you", literally "may he let you live". The noun 3icha means daily life and its conditions. The verb is neutral and used in all registers.
Example
والله عندك الحق هاذا هو اللي قاعدين نعيشوا فيه
wlahi 3andek el7a9 hatha hou eli9a3din n3ichou fih
“I swear, you're right, this is exactly what we're living through.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3ach” but also “y3ich”, “3ich” and “3ech”. 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.
Type “3ach” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “to live, be alive”; “to live, reside somewhere”: 3ach in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “to live, be alive”; “to live somewhere”: 3ach in Algerian.