7ala حالا
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“7ala” (حالا) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning right away, immediately.
Meanings
- right away, immediately
- without waiting, urgently
Usage
Hala is used to say that an action happens without delay: "I'll write to you right away", "we must act immediately". It stresses urgency or immediacy, more than taw, the usual word for "now", which can also mean "soon". Hala generally goes after the verb or just before it. The word also exists in Standard Arabic, which sometimes gives it a slightly more formal or written feel. In everyday conversation you also hear taw taw or fissa3 for the same idea of haste.
Example
استنى، حالا نجيك.
stanna, 7ala njik.
“Wait, I'll be right with you.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7ala” but also “hala”, “7alla” and “halla”. 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.