na7na نحنا
Tunisian Derja · pronoun
“na7na” (نحنا) is a pronoun in Tunisian Derja meaning we.
Meanings
- we
Usage
Na7na is the first-person plural personal pronoun. Since the verb already carries the person marking (n-…-ou: nemchiw, "we go"), the pronoun is not required; it is added for emphasis or contrast: na7na nemchiw, entouma t9a3dou (we are going; you are staying). It also serves as subject in sentences without a verb: na7na hni (we are here). The variant a7na is also common. The corresponding object pronoun is -na (y7ebbna, "he loves us").
Example
نحنا ماشين للبحر غدوة
na7na mechyin lel b7ar ghodwa
“We are going to the sea tomorrow.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “na7na” but also “nahna” and “n7na”. 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.