mafamech مفماش
Tunisian Derja · expression
“mafamech” (مفماش) is an expression in Tunisian Derja meaning there isn't, there aren't.
Meanings
- there isn't, there aren't
- there's no such thing
- no problem (mafamech mochkla)
Usage
Ma fammech is the negation of famma (there is) and is used constantly: "ma fammech 7lib", there is no milk. It is built directly with a noun, with no article required. Alone, as a reply, it means "there isn't any" or "no way": "ma fammech !". It is also heard to say that something does not exist or is out of the question: "ma fammech kima hakka", there is nothing like that. The spelling varies a lot online, with or without a space. In the past, say ma kanech famma.
Example
مفماش خبز في الدار، تنجم تشري؟
ma fammech khobz fi dar, tnajjem tchri?
“There's no bread at home, can you buy some?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mafamech” but also “mafammech”, “mafemech”, “mafamach”, “mafemch” and “mafamesh”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find مفماش and مافماش, all the same word.