jhannem جهنم
Tunisian Derja · noun
“jhannem” (جهنم) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning hell (religious sense).
Meanings
- hell (religious sense)
- unbearable heat or situation
Usage
Jhannem means hell in the religious sense. It is heard in expressions like nar jhannem, "the fire of hell", often in curses or warnings. By extension, it is used for crushing heat, especially in summer: el skhana jhannem, "the heat is hellish". It is also said of a painful situation or an unlivable place. The word belongs to the common religious vocabulary, but the Tunisian pronunciation often reduces the first vowel (jhannem). It is used without an article. The tone can be solemn or merely exaggerated, depending on context.
Example
اليوم السخانة جهنم، ما نجمش نخرج.
lyoum skhana jhannem, ma nnajjamch nokhrej.
“Today the heat is hellish, I can't go out.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “jhannem” but also “jahannam”, “jhanem”, “jahanam” and “jhannam”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “jhannem” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “hell (religious)”; “hell, unbearable situation or heat”: jahannam in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “hell (religious)”; “unbearable situation”: jahannam in Algerian.