9ach3er قشعر
Tunisian Derja · verb
“9ach3er” (قشعر) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to get goosebumps.
Meanings
- to get goosebumps
- to shiver with emotion or fear
Usage
Verb mainly used in the fixed expression la7mi 9ach3er, literally "my flesh shivered", i.e. "it gave me goosebumps". Said in response to a strong emotion: a moving voice or song, a rousing speech, a memory, but also fear or disgust. The grammatical subject is often la7mi ("my flesh") or bdeni ("my body"), not the person. Common in speech and online comments. Context shows whether it is admiration or dread.
Example
كي سمعت الغناية لحمي قشعر
ki sma3t el ghnaya la7mi 9ach3er
“When I heard the song, I got goosebumps.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9ach3er” but also “9ach3ar”, “kach3er”, “9cha3er” and “9ach3ir”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.