hakkay هكاي
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“hakkay” (هكاي) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning like this, thus, in this way.
Meanings
- like this, thus, in this way
- about, roughly (after a quantity)
- filler word, like
Usage
Hakkay is a variant of hakka and hkeka, very frequent in speech. It first indicates manner: it is often accompanied by a gesture to show how to do something. Placed after a number or a time, it expresses approximation, like "around" or "about": "sab3a w noss hakkay" means "around half past seven". In relaxed conversation, it also serves as a filler word, close to "like" or "you know". It is informal and rarely written outside messages and social media. It generally goes at the end of a phrase.
Example
اعملها هكّاي، موش كيف ما عملتها البارح
a3melha hakkay, mouch kif ma 3maltha lbare7
“Do it like this, not the way you did it yesterday.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “hakkay” but also “hakay”, “hekkay”, “hkay” and “hakkaye”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.