chouf شوف
Tunisian Derja · verb
“chouf” (شوف) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning look! (imperative).
Meanings
- look! (imperative)
- to see, to look
- to check, go and see
Usage
Chouf is the imperative of chaf, "to see, to look". It is heard constantly, also as a simple call for attention: chouf, "listen", "look here". The feminine is choufi and the plural choufou. The verb is also used in the sense of "to check": chouf ken jé, "go and see if he has arrived". For an English speaker, chaf covers both "to see" and "to look". The word is neutral and is used in all contexts.
Example
شوف شكون جا
chouf chkoun ja
“Look who came.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chouf” but also “shouf”, “chof”, “chuf” and “shoof”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.