khiffa خفة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“khiffa” (خفة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning lightness, liveliness.
Meanings
- lightness, liveliness
- wit, sense of humour (khiffet rouh)
- dexterity, skilful hands
Usage
Khiffa means lightness in both the physical and figurative sense. It is heard mostly in fixed expressions. Khiffet rouh describes a funny, pleasant, spontaneous person: it is a frequent compliment. Khiffet yeddin means manual skill, that of a craftsman or a conjurer, but also, with a mocking nuance, that of a pickpocket. For an English speaker, the pitfall is translating word for word: khiffet rouh does not mean "light soul" in the sense of frivolity, but rather "having wit, being likeable". The corresponding adjective is khfif, "light".
Example
صاحبك عندو خفة روح، يضحّك الناس الكل.
sa7bek 3andou khiffet rou7, yda77ak ennes lkol.
“Your friend has a sense of humour, he makes everyone laugh.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khiffa” but also “5iffa”, “khefa”, “khifet” and “5ifet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.