cha9 شق
Tunisian Derja · verb
“cha9” (شق) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to cross (a street, a place).
Meanings
- to cross (a street, a place)
- to drop by someone's place
- to split, cut open
Usage
Chaqq, in the imperfect ychoqq, first means "to cross": chaqq el-kayes, "to cross the road". With the preposition 3la, it means "to drop in on someone": nchoqq 3lik, "I'll drop by your place". It also keeps the concrete sense of "to split" or "to open", for example a fruit or a piece of fabric. The noun chaqq means a slit or a crack. Context and the preposition determine the meaning. The word is common and neutral.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “cha9” but also “chaq”, “chag” and “chok”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.