mich ميش
Tunisian Derja · particle
“mich” (ميش) is a particle in Tunisian Derja meaning not (negates a word or adjective).
Meanings
- not (negates a word or adjective)
- isn't it? (in a question)
Usage
Mich, or mouch, is the negation before an adjective, a noun, an adverb or a nominal sentence: "mich ghalia" (not expensive), "mich hné" (not here). It is also used to negate the future: "mich bech nemchi" (I am not going to go). With a conjugated verb, the framing negation ma…ch is used instead: "ma mchitech". At the start of a question, mich is equivalent to "isn't it?". Mouch is more typical of Tunis, mich more frequent elsewhere. Both forms are understood everywhere.
Example
الحاجة هاذي ميش غالية
el 7aja hédhi mich ghalia
“This thing is not expensive.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mich” but also “mouch”, “mech”, “moch” and “mesh”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.