ma7la محلى
Tunisian Derja · expression
“ma7la” (محلى) is an expression in Tunisian Derja meaning how beautiful!.
Meanings
- how beautiful!
- how nice, how sweet!
Usage
Ma7la is used to exclaim at something beautiful, good or pleasant. It is placed before a noun (ma7la el b7ar, "how beautiful the sea is") or takes a suffixed pronoun: ma7lèh, ma7lèha, ma7lèk (ma7lèk ya Tounes, "how beautiful you are, Tunisia"). It expresses admiration or tenderness and suits people, places, dishes or moments. It is very common in speech and in online comments. It is not conjugated and is not used like an ordinary adjective.
Example
محلاها الدنيا في الربيع
ma7lèha eddenya fel rbi3
“How beautiful the world is in spring!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ma7la” but also “mahla”. 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.