ahwen اهون
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“ahwen” (اهون) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning easier, less bad.
Meanings
- easier, less bad
- rather than (preference)
Usage
Ahwen is the comparative of "hayyen" (easy, not serious). It is used mainly to express a lesser evil, in the construction "X ahwen men Y", which means "X is better than Y" or "X is less painful than Y". For example, "el mout ahwen men hal 3icha" means "better to die than to live like this". It is invariable. The word is common in complaints, dramatic comparisons and humor. Not to be confused with the verb "hawwen" ("to lighten, to make easier"), as in "rabbi yhawwen" ("may God make things easy").
Example
نمشي على ساقيا أهون من نستنى الكار.
nemchi 3la sa9ayya ahwen men nestanna el car.
“I'd rather walk than wait for the bus.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ahwen” but also “ahwan”, “ahouen” and “ahwn”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.