fa7m فحم
Tunisian Derja · noun
“fa7m” (فحم) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning charcoal.
Meanings
- charcoal
- coal (fuel)
Usage
Fa7m first of all refers to charcoal. It is bought by the sack ("chkarat fa7m") for the kanoun, the barbecue (mechoui) or the shisha. "Fa7m zitoun", olive-wood charcoal, is reputed for its good embers. The word is a collective noun. To speak of a single piece, one says "7abbet fa7m" or "fa7ma". It can also refer to mineral coal, but this use is rarer in everyday language. Do not confuse this word with fa7am (to understand), which is spelled differently.
Example
جيب شكارة فحم للشواء
jib chkara fa7m lel chwé
“Bring a sack of charcoal for the grill.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “fa7m” but also “f7am”, “fahm” and “fa7am”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.