nihai نهائي
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“nihai” (نهائي) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning final, definitive.
Meanings
- final, definitive
- not at all, absolutely (with negation)
- final (match)
Usage
Nihā'i comes from Standard Arabic and is commonly used in Tunisia in the sense of "definitive": qarar nihā'i, "a final decision". In derja, it is also very often used as an adverb of emphasis in a negative sentence: ma nemchich nihā'i, "I'm not going at all". It is then placed at the end of the sentence to reinforce the refusal. The feminine nihā'iya, or el nihā'i used as a noun, refers to the final of a sports competition. The word belongs to the everyday register and does not sound formal.
Example
ما نحبش نرجعلو نهائي.
ma n7ebbech narja3lou nihai.
“I don't want to go back to him at all.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “nihai” but also “nihe2i”, “nhai”, “nihayi” and “niha2i”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 2 is hamza (ء), a glottal stop.