chnahi شنهي
Tunisian Derja · pronoun
“chnahi” (شنهي) is a pronoun in Tunisian Derja meaning what is (feminine subject).
Meanings
- what is (feminine subject)
- what are (non-human plural)
Usage
An interrogative pronoun used to ask what something is when the noun that follows is feminine. It is the counterpart of chnahou, used before a masculine noun. It is close to chniya but more insistent and more colloquial. It is placed at the start of the sentence, directly before the noun: chnahi el 7kaya ? ("what's the story?"). It is also used before a plural of things, which Tunisian treats as feminine: chnahi ahdafou ? ("what are his goals?"). It is common in speech and in online messages.
Example
شنهي الحكاية؟
chnahi el 7kaya ?
“What's the story?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chnahi” but also “chnehi”, “chnhi” and “chnahia”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.