7it حيت
Tunisian Derja · conjunction
“7it” (حيت) is a conjunction in Tunisian Derja meaning because.
Meanings
- because
- since, given that
Usage
7it introduces a cause, like "because" in English. It is used mainly to justify advice or a decision: "rod belek 7it..." (be careful, because...). It is slightly less frequent than 5ater, which remains the most common way of expressing cause in Tunisian, but it is perfectly natural in speech. It is followed directly by a full clause. The word is not used to ask a question: to ask "why?", say 3lech.
Example
ما جيتش حيت كنت مريض
ma jitech 7it kont mridh
“I didn't come because I was sick.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7it” but also “hit”, “7ith” and “7eet”. 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.
Type “7it” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “because”; “since, given that”: 7it in Moroccan.