nakhou ناخو
Tunisian Derja · verb
“nakhou” (ناخو) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning I take.
Meanings
- I take
- I get, I collect
Usage
Nakhou (or nekhou) is the first person singular of the imperfect of the verb "to take" (5dhé in the perfect). It means "I take" or "I am going to take". It is used for an object, a means of transport (nakhou taxi), a medicine or a decision. It also means "to get": nakhou el ta2min, "to collect the insurance". The final dh of nekhdh very often drops in speech. The form nekhdh remains possible too. The verb is often constructed after njem or bech: njem nakhou ?, "can I take?". In the plural, one says nakhdhou or nakhou.
Example
نجم ناخو تاكسي من هوني؟
nejjem nakhou taxi mel houni?
“Can I take a taxi from here?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “nakhou” but also “nekhou”, “na5ou” and “ne5ou”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.