saye صايي
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“saye” (صايي) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning that's it, it's done.
Meanings
- that's it, it's done
- well, there you go
Usage
Saye is an adapted borrowing from French "ça y est", fully integrated into spoken Tounsi. It signals that an action is finished ("saye, kammelt", "that's it, I'm done") or that a matter is settled. It is also used to sum up with resignation: "saye, ma fiha chay" ("well, there's nothing left"). It is often placed at the start of a sentence. It belongs to the informal register. Pitfall: it does not always express satisfaction. It can express weariness or helplessness.
Example
صايي، كمّلت الخدمة، نجم نروّح.
saye, kammelt el-khedma, najjem nrawa7.
“That's it, I've finished the work, I can go home.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “saye” but also “sayé”, “sayi” and “sayyi”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.