l7a9 لحق
Tunisian Derja · verb
“l7a9” (لحق) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to catch up, make it in time.
Meanings
- to catch up, make it in time
- to reach (up high)
- to join, follow someone
Usage
L7a9 means to catch up with someone or something, or to arrive in time: l7a9t el car (I caught the bus), ma l7a9tech (I didn't make it in time). It is also used for reaching an object placed up high: ma nel7a9ch (I can't reach it, it's too high). With 3la, it means to join someone or follow them: el7a9ni (join me). Pitfall: the written form لحق can also be read l-7a9, "the right", which is a different word.
Example
جريت وما لحقتش الترينو
jrit w ma l7a9tech ettrino
“I ran but I missed the train.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “l7a9” but also “le7e9”, “l7ag”, “l7e9” and “la7a9”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.