3aych عيش
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“3aych” (عيش) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning thanks (short for 3aychek).
Meanings
- thanks (short for 3aychek)
- live! (imperative of "to live")
Usage
3aych is a very common way of saying thank you. It is the short form of "3aychek", literally "may you live". Depending on who you are talking to, you say 3aychek, 3aychkom in the plural, or simply 3aych. It is often added to an affectionate term: "3aych khouya", "3aych okhti". It is also used with a polite request, meaning "please, and thanks in advance". The register is informal and warm. You hear it everywhere, from the corner shop to text messages. The word is also the imperative of the verb "to live", but that use is much rarer.
Example
عيش خويا، ربي يحفظك
3aych khouya, rabbi y7af'dhek
“Thanks, brother, may God protect you.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3aych” but also “3aysh”, “3ayech”, “3ich”, “3aich” and “3ayesh”. 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.