7ares حارس
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7ares” (حارس) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning guard, watchman.
Meanings
- guard, watchman
- goalkeeper
- bodyguard
Usage
7ares refers to a person in charge of watching over a place: a building (7ares el-3imara), a building site, a car park or a school. In football, one says 7ares on its own or 7ares marma for the goalkeeper. 7ares chakhsi means "bodyguard". The usual plural is 7orras. For a night watchman, 3assas is also heard. The word is very common and neutral, in speech and in writing.
Example
الحارس متاع العمارة يعرف الناس الكل.
el 7ares mta3 el 3imara ya3ref ennes el kol.
“The building's guard knows everybody.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7ares” but also “hares”, “7aris” and “haress”. 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.