tahfet تهفت
Tunisian Derja · verb
“tahfet” (تهفت) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to die down, weaken (fire, flame).
Meanings
- to die down, weaken (fire, flame)
- to subside, calm down
Usage
Tahfet is the imperfect form ("it goes down") of the verb hfet, used first of all for a fire or flame losing its strength. In cooking, you hear it in instructions like "let the fire die down a bit." By extension, it can refer to something that subsides or calms down. The register is informal and everyday. The subject is the fire, not the person adjusting the flame. To say you lower the fire yourself, a causative form or another verb is used instead ("naqqes ennar").
Example
استنى شوية حتى تهفت النار
estanna chwaya hatta tahfet ennar
“Wait a bit until the fire dies down.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tahfet” but also “tehfet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.