hakka هكة
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“hakka” (هكة) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning like this, thus.
Meanings
- like this, thus
- is that so?
- such a, this kind of
Usage
Hakka is the most common adverb of manner in Tunisian: "like this, in this way". It appears in very frequent expressions. Kima hakka means "like this, of this kind", and hakka w hakka "so-so". Ma t3amelch hakka means "don't do it like that". Alone, with a questioning or indignant intonation (hakka?, ah hakka!), it is equivalent to "oh really?" or "so that's how you take it?". It is used in all registers. Do not confuse it with the demonstrative hak ("that").
Example
ما تعملش هكة، موش باهي
ma ta3melch hakka, moch behi
“Don't do it like that, it's not good.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “hakka” but also “hekka”, “haka”, “heka”, “hakkeka” and “heke”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find هكة and هك and هككا, all the same word.