7acha حاشا
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“7acha” (حاشا) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning pardon the expression.
Meanings
- pardon the expression
- not at all, far from it
- except, apart from
Usage
Hacha is a polite formula. It is said just before or after mentioning something considered dirty or vile, out of respect for the listener: "bhim, 7acha", like saying "donkey, pardon the expression". The phrase "7acha w kalla" is used to deny firmly: "not at all, never in your life". One also says "7achak" or "7achakom" when addressing the people present directly. More rarely, the word means "except". These uses are all very common in daily life.
Example
دخل الكلب، حاشاك، للدار.
d5al el kelb, 7achek, lel dar.
“The dog, begging your pardon, came into the house.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7acha” but also “hacha”, “7asha” and “hasha”. 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.