howa هو
Tunisian Derja · pronoun
“howa” (هو) is a pronoun in Tunisian Derja meaning he, him (3rd person masculine singular).
Meanings
- he, him (3rd person masculine singular)
- it's him (emphasis)
Usage
Howa is the standalone personal pronoun of the third person masculine singular. It serves as a subject (howa mcha, "he left") and as a stressed pronoun for emphasis or contrast (ama howa, "but him"). As in Arabic generally, it is not required before a conjugated verb: using it often adds a nuance of emphasis. As an object, a suffix is used instead (-ou: chaftou, "I saw him"). The corresponding feminine is hiya. In a nominal sentence, it can also stand in for the absent verb "to be" (howa mrigel, "he is fine").
Example
هو مازال ما جاش
howa mazal ma jech
“As for him, he still hasn't come.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “howa” but also “houwa”, “houa”, “howwa”, “hoa” and “houwoi”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “howa” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “he, him (3rd person masculine)”; “here he/it is (with "ha")”: howa in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “he, him (masculine singular pronoun)”; “it is (emphatic copula)”: howa in Algerian.