l7am w dam لحم ودم
Tunisian Derja · expression
“l7am w dam” (لحم ودم) is an expression in Tunisian Derja meaning of flesh and blood, human.
Meanings
- of flesh and blood, human
- blood relation, close family
Usage
L7am w dam ("flesh and blood") is used mainly to remind someone that you are a human being, with limits and feelings. You hear it in phrases like "ana zeda l7am w dam" (I'm human too), as a defense when too much is expected of you or a weakness is held against you. The expression can also stress a close family bond: someone of your own flesh. It belongs to everyday, often emotional register. The word order is fixed: l7am comes before dam.
Example
راني لحم ودم، موش ماكينة.
rani l7am w dam, mouch makina.
“I'm flesh and blood, not a machine.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “l7am w dam” but also “lham w dam”, “l7am w dem” and “la7m w dam”. 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.