3aychek عيشك
Tunisian Derja · expression
“3aychek” (عيشك) is an expression in Tunisian Derja meaning thank you.
Meanings
- thank you
- please
Usage
3ichek literally means "your life": you ask for something in the name of the other person's life. It is the most common way to say "please" in Tunisia. It is used in all situations, among close friends and with a shopkeeper alike. It goes at the end or the start of a request. For several people, say 3ichkom. The similar form ya3aychek or 3aychek is mostly used to thank someone: "thank you, may God keep you alive". For an English speaker, the pitfall is confusing the request (3ichek) with the thanks (3aychek), which sound very similar.
Example
عيشك عطيني الماء.
3ichek a3tini el ma.
“Please, give me the water.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3aychek” but also “3ichek”, “3ishek”, “aichek” and “3ichk”. 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.