rchi9 رشيق
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“rchi9” (رشيق) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning slim, slender.
Meanings
- slim, slender
- agile, nimble
Usage
Rchi9 (feminine rchi9a) describes a slim, slender figure. It is also used for a lively, agile person, for example an athlete. It appears in phrases like 9wem rchi9 ("slim waistline") or in compliments about a fast athlete. The word is complimentary and fairly refined. To simply say "skinny" or "thin", everyday derja prefers rhif or dh3if. Rchi9 adds a nuance of elegance. It is also used beyond the body: a movement or a style can be rchi9, meaning light and graceful.
Example
ولّى رشيق بعد ما بدا يجري
walla rchi9 ba3d ma bda yejri
“He became slim after he started running.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “rchi9” but also “rachi9”, “rchiq”, “rachik” and “rchik”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.