7alwa حلوى
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7alwa” (حلوى) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning sweets, cakes, treats.
Meanings
- sweets, cakes, treats
- halva (sweet sesame paste)
Usage
Halwa refers in general to anything sweet: candies, cakes, pastries offered at celebrations or visits. "Jibna halwa": we brought cakes. The word also designates sesame halva, often specified as "halwa chamia". It is used figuratively for what is easy or pleasant: "sehel halwa", it's a piece of cake. Not to be confused with the adjective 7lou (sweet, cute), which describes a thing or a person. Everyday register, informal in the figurative use.
Example
جبنا حلوى للعرس.
jibna 7alwa lel 3ers.
“We brought sweets for the wedding.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7alwa” but also “halwa”, “7lowa”, “hlowa” and “7elwa”. 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.