sa7a ساحة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sa7a” (ساحة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning public square.
Meanings
- public square
- yard (of a school, building)
- arena, scene (political, etc.)
Usage
Sa7a first means a public square in a city, such as sa7at el 9asba or sa7at Barcelone in Tunis. It often serves as a landmark when arranging a meeting. The word is also used for the yard of a school (sa7a mta3 el madrsa) or of a building. Figuratively, notably in the media, sa7a refers to the political or cultural "scene" (es-sa7a es-siyesiya). Before a proper noun, the word takes the form sa7at, which corresponds to English "Square of…" or "… Square". The plural is sa7et. The register is neutral.
Example
نتلاقاو في الساحة بعد العصر.
netle9aw fi es-sa7a ba3d el 3asr.
“Let's meet in the square in the late afternoon.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sa7a” but also “saha”, “sa7at” and “sahat”. 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.
Type “sa7a” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “public square”; “courtyard (of a school, institution)”: sa7a in Moroccan.