hedheka هاذاكة
Tunisian Derja · pronoun
“hedheka” (هاذاكة) is a pronoun in Tunisian Derja meaning that one (masculine).
Meanings
- that one (masculine)
- that… over there
Usage
Hedheka is the masculine demonstrative for things at a distance, the equivalent of "that one" or "that…". The feminine is hedhika and the plural is hedhouma. It can be used on its own ("hedheka chnowa ?", "what is that one?") or after a definite noun: "el mekteb hedheka", "that office". It contrasts with hedha, which refers to what is near. The tone can be pejorative when it refers to a person ("hedheka !"). The final "ka" is sometimes reduced in speech to hedhek. Spellings vary widely.
Example
الكتاب هاذاكة متاعي، موش متاعك.
el ktab hedheka mte3i, mouch mte3ek.
“That book is mine, not yours.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “hedheka” but also “hadheka”, “hedhaka”, “hadhaka” and “hedhek”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.