cha3el شاعل
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“cha3el” (شاعل) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning on, lit, switched on.
Meanings
- on, lit, switched on
- in turmoil, heated
- lively, buzzing
Usage
Cha3el (feminine cha3la) is the participle of cha3el, "to light". Literally, it describes a light, a fire, a cigarette or a running device: edhaw cha3el, "the light is on". Figuratively, it describes a tense situation, a region in full protest, or a heated debate. A sentence like ej-jnoub cha3el means the south is in turmoil. In a festive context, it refers to a lively atmosphere: el 3ers cha3el. Note: it does not mean "hot" to the touch, which is skhoun or 7ar.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “cha3el” but also “sha3el”, “cha3il”, “chaal” and “cha3l”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.
Type “cha3el” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “on, lit, switched on (light, fire, device)”; “angry, worked up”: cha3el in Moroccan.