7lel حلال

Tunisian Derja · adjective

“7lel” (حلال) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning permitted, halal.

Meanings

1. permitted, halal
2. well-deserved, rightfully earned

Usage

7lel, often pronounced with a Tunisian e, describes what religion permits, as opposed to 7ram. It is used for meat (l7am 7lel) as well as for honestly earned money (flous 7lel). In everyday usage, 7lel 3lik means "you well deserve it", to congratulate someone on a success. One also says 7lel fih (he deserves it). As a noun, el 7lel refers to what is permitted, or to lawful marriage in certain expressions, such as bent 7lel (girl from a good family).

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7lel” but also “7lal”, “halal”, “hlel” and “7alal”. 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 “7lel” on the Arabic keyboard

In Moroccan Darija

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “lawful, permitted by religion”; “honestly earned, legitimate”: 7lal in Moroccan.

In Algerian Darja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “lawful, permitted by religion”; “honest, of good family (wlad lahlal)”: hlal in Algerian.