7lewa حلاوة

Tunisian Derja · noun

“7lewa” (حلاوة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning sweetness, sweet taste.

Meanings

1. sweetness, sweet taste
2. charm, pleasantness
3. halva (sesame confection)

Usage

7lewa first means sweetness, both literally and figuratively: "7lewet el-foz" means the savor of victory, "7lewet lsanou" means his fine words, often with a hint of mistrust. The form 7lewet is used before a complement. The word also means halva, a sesame confection, often called "7lewa chamia". The term is common and neutral, used in all registers. It should not be confused with the adjective 7lou, which means "sweet" or "cute".

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7lewa” but also “7lewet”, “hlewa”, “7lawa” and “7alewa”. 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 “7lewa” on the Arabic keyboard

In Moroccan Darija

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “candy, sweet treat”; “sweetness, sweet taste”: 7lawa in Moroccan.

In Algerian Darja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “charm, what makes something enjoyable”; “sweetness, sweet taste”: hlawa in Algerian.