ay 7aja اي حاجة
Tunisian Derja · expression
“ay 7aja” (اي حاجة) is an expression in Tunisian Derja meaning anything, whatever.
Meanings
- anything, whatever
- the slightest thing
Usage
Ay 7aja means "anything" or "whatever". It is used to say that any option is acceptable: "jibli ay 7aja", "bring me anything". In a negative sentence, the expression means "nothing": "ma n7eb ay 7aja", "I don't want anything". It is also used when offering help: "ken t7eb ay 7aja, qolli", "if you need anything, tell me". Do not confuse it with the French "n'importe quoi" in the sense of "nonsense". For that pejorative sense, Tunisians rather say "kalam fareg" or use the French directly.
Example
كان تحتاج أي حاجة، كلمني
ken te7tej ay 7aja, kallemni
“If you need anything, call me.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ay 7aja” but also “ay hja”, “ai 7aja”, “ay 7ja” and “ay haja”. 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 “ay 7aja” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “anything at all”; “something, any thing at all”: ay haja in Algerian.