7atta حتى
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“7atta” (حتى) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning even, also.
Meanings
- even, also
- not a single (with negation)
- until, up to
Usage
Hatta is very frequent and takes several values depending on the construction. Before a noun or a pronoun, it means "even" or "also": hatta ana, "me too". In a negative sentence, it is equivalent to "no" or "not a single": ma 3andi hatta flous, "I don't have a penny". Hatta 7ad, "nobody", and hatta chay, "nothing", are common. As a conjunction or preposition, it means "until" or "up to", often reinforced as hatta lin.
Example
حتّى ال كيراتين موش خايب
Hata l keratin moch khayeb
“Even the keratin isn't bad.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7atta” but also “hata”, “7ata”, “hatta”, “7ta” and “7etta”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find حتى and حتا, all the same word.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.