bellehi بالله
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“bellehi” (بالله) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning please.
Meanings
- please
- really? seriously?
- by God (oath)
Usage
Bellehi (or bellah) is the most common way to say "please" in Tunisian. It goes at the start of a sentence to soften a request: bellehi ta3tini…, "could you give me…, please". It is also used to get someone's attention before a question: bellehi, el mersa mnin ?, "excuse me, which way is La Marsa?". Alone and with a questioning tone, bellehi ? means "really? seriously?". In fixed expressions, it keeps its religious meaning: 3iyedh billah, "God forbid". Bellehi barra… is an impatient command, often rude.
Example
بالله تعطيني الملحة
bellehi ta3tini el mel7a
“Please, pass me the salt.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bellehi” but also “belehi”, “billahi”, “belhi”, “bellah” and “belleh”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.