7asla حصلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7asla” (حصلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning difficult situation, predicament, fix.
Meanings
- difficult situation, predicament, fix
- ordeal, rough patch
Usage
7asla refers to an embarrassing or difficult situation that's hard to get out of: the equivalent of the informal "predicament" or "ordeal". The word is very common in speech and on social media, often with a hint of humor or exasperation. Typical expressions: "mella 7asla !" (what a mess!), "7asla khayba" (a nasty situation), "7salt" (I'm stuck, I got done in). The related verb 7sel means "to end up stuck". Not to be confused with standard Arabic, where the root suggests obtaining or a result.
Example
ملّا حصلة هههه
Mella 7asla hhhh
“What a mess, hahaha!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7asla” but also “hasla”, “7a9la” and “7asl”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.