t7ayer تحير
Tunisian Derja · verb
“t7ayer” (تحير) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to worry, be concerned.
Meanings
- to worry, be concerned
- to be perplexed, hesitate
- to amaze, astonish (7ayyer)
Usage
T7ayyer means to worry or to be troubled. The typical construction is "t7ayyer 3la": "t7ayyret 3lih" (she worried about him). The word can also express perplexity in front of a choice. Beware of the form t7ayyer of 7ayyer, "to baffle, to amaze", in the third person feminine: "bnintou t7ayyer" (its taste is amazing). This culinary compliment is very common. The corresponding noun is 7ira ("worry, perplexity") and the adjective is mte7ayyer ("worried, perplexed").
Example
تحيّرت عليك كي ما جاوبتش.
t7ayyart 3lik ki ma jawebtech.
“I worried about you when you didn't answer.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “t7ayer” but also “t7ayyer”, “te7ayer”, “thayer” and “t7ayar”. 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.