mahouch مهوش
Tunisian Derja · particle
“mahouch” (مهوش) is a particle in Tunisian Derja meaning he is not.
Meanings
- he is not
- it is not
Usage
Mahouch is the negation of the third person masculine singular. It replaces the verb "to be" in the present: "mahouch râdhi", "he is not happy". The word changes with the person: manich (I am not), manech (you are not), mahich (she is not), mahomch (they are not). It goes before an adjective, a participle or a place complement, for example "mahouch fi dâr", "he is not at home". Pitfall: it is not used before a conjugated verb. In that case, use ma…ch, as in "ma ja-ch", "he did not come".
Example
مهوش هوني، خرج.
mahouch houni, kharej.
“He's not here, he went out.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mahouch” but also “mahoush”, “mahoch” and “mehouch”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find مهوش and مهواش, all the same word.