ahouka اهوكا
Tunisian Derja · particle
“ahouka” (اهوكا) is a particle in Tunisian Derja meaning there he is, he's here.
Meanings
- there he is, he's here
- see, there you go
Usage
Ahouka is a presentative used to point out something or someone masculine: "there he is". It varies according to what is indicated: ahika (there she is), ahoumma (there they are), ahouni (here I am). It can be followed by a participle to describe what is happening: ahouka jey, "there he is coming". It is also used to indicate a place: ahouka 9odemek, "he's right in front of you". It is a spoken-register word, very commonly used.
Example
اهوكا جاي
ahouka jey
“There he comes.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ahouka” but also “ahawka”, “ahwka”, “ahuka”, “ahowka” and “ahoka”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find اهوكا and اهوكة, all the same word.