ko7a كحة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“ko7a” (كحة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning cough.
Meanings
- cough
Usage
Ko7a is the usual word for a cough. One says "3andi ko7a" (I have a cough) or "chadda fiya ko7a" (a cough has hold of me and won't let go). The type is often specified: "ko7a nachfa" for a dry cough, "ko7a bel balgham" for a phlegmy cough. Cough syrup is called "dwé ko7a". The corresponding verb is "k7a, yko77", to cough. The word is neutral and is used in all contexts, including at the doctor's or the pharmacy.
Example
عندي كحّة من جمعة وما حبّتش تروح.
3andi ko7a men jem3a w ma 7abbetch trou7.
“I've had a cough for a week and it won't go away.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ko7a” but also “kou7a”, “ko77a”, “k7a” and “koha”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.