ma9ach قاش
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“ma9ach” (قاش) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning no longer, not anymore.
Meanings
- no longer, not anymore
Usage
Qash is used only after the negation ma: ma qash, often written ma9ach. It goes right before the verb or expression it negates and marks that a state or habit has ended: ma qash nhebb (I no longer want), ma qash 3andi sa77a (I no longer have the strength). It is equivalent to ma 3adsh, which is also very common, and belongs to the colloquial register of conversation. Pitfall: it does not combine with the final negation -sh on the verb, since that is already carried by qash. Nor can it stand alone to mean "more" in the sense of "a greater amount".
Example
ما قاش نشرب القهوة بالليل
ma 9ach nochrob el9ahwa bellil
“I no longer drink coffee in the evening.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ma9ach” but also “maqach”, “ma 9ach”, “ma9ech” and “makach”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.