stahel ستاهل
Tunisian Derja · verb
“stahel” (ستاهل) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to deserve.
Meanings
- to deserve
- to be worthy of
Usage
Stahel means "he deserved it"; the present is yestahel. The verb is used for both good and bad. In a positive sense, one says yestahel kol khir, "he deserves every good thing". In a negative sense, it is the reproach or ironic observation stahelha, "he had it coming". It is also heard about an object or an effort, as in ma testahelch, "it's not worth it". The complement is constructed directly, without a preposition. The register is everyday and neutral.
Example
ستاهلها، قتلو ما يمشيش
stahelha, 9otlou ma yemchich
“He had it coming — I told him not to go.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “stahel” but also “stehel” and “stahil”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “stahel” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
The same word also exists in Moroccan Darija, written استاهل, where it means “to deserve (reward or punishment)”; “to be worth it”: stahel in Moroccan.