7ayyar حير
Tunisian Derja · verb
“7ayyar” (حير) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to puzzle, to perplex.
Meanings
- to puzzle, to perplex
- to worry, to trouble
Usage
7ayyar means "to leave puzzled, to intrigue": something whose cause or outcome you don't understand. It is often used with an object pronoun: 7ayyarni, "it puzzled me". The expression 7ayyar el-9adhiya translates as "the case is troubling, it leaves you puzzled". Depending on context, the verb can also express worry: 7ayyarni 3lih, "he worried me". The reflexive form t7ayyar means "to worry, to be troubled". The register is everyday and neutral. Pitfall for an English speaker: the meaning swings between puzzlement and concern, and only context decides.
Example
حيّرني سكوتو
7ayyarni skoutou
“His silence puzzled me.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7ayyar” but also “hayyar”, “7ayar” and “hayar”. 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.