ahawa اهاوا
Tunisian Derja · particle
“ahawa” (اهاوا) is a particle in Tunisian Derja meaning here it is, there he is (masculine).
Meanings
- here it is, there he is (masculine)
- and then, lo and behold
Usage
Ahawa is a presentative that points to something or someone masculine singular: "here he is", "here it is". It varies according to what is pointed out: ahiya for the feminine, ahouma for the plural, and ahawka or ahiyaka for something further away. It is used in speech to show an object, indicate a way or mark something obvious. It can also open a sentence in the sense of "and there you go", to introduce the next part of a story or a consequence. Its register is colloquial and neutral. The pitfall is to use it invariably: it must agree with what is being pointed out.
Example
وين المفتاح؟ أهاوا فوق الطاولة.
Win el mefte7? Ahawa fou9 ettawla.
“Where is the key? Here it is, on the table.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ahawa” but also “ahaoua” and “ahwa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.