7ira حيرة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7ira” (حيرة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning worry, concern for someone.
Meanings
- worry, concern for someone
- perplexity, bewilderment, indecision
Usage
7ira refers first to the worry one feels for someone or about a situation, and then to the confusion of someone who no longer knows what to do. People say "3andi 7ira" or "ana fi 7ira" for "I am worried". They also say "7ira 3lih" for "I am worried about him". The corresponding verb is "t7ayyar" (to worry, to be perplexed) and the adjective is "m7ayyar" (anxious, at a loss). The word belongs to the everyday register and is used at any age. Pitfall for an English speaker: the sense of emotional worry dominates in Tunisia. It is not limited to the intellectual hesitation that "perplexity" suggests.
Example
عندي حيرة عليه، ما كلّمنيش من البارح.
3andi 7ira 3lih, ma kallemnich mel bare7.
“I'm worried about him, he hasn't spoken to me since yesterday.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7ira” but also “hira”, “7ayra” and “7irra”. 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.