tkhmem تخمام
Tunisian Derja · noun
“tkhmem” (تخمام) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning thinking, reflection.
Meanings
- thinking, reflection
- worry, preoccupation
Usage
Tkhmem (or tokhmem) is the verbal noun of the verb khammem, "to think, to reflect". It is a very common word in Tunisian speech. It refers to the activity of thinking, but often with a nuance of rumination: thinking too much, worrying. It appears in expressions like "yeser tkhmem", "too much thinking", or "rassi m3abbi tkhmem", "my head is full of worries". The register is colloquial and neutral. Be careful not to confuse it with the verb itself: to say "I'm thinking", use "nkhammem".
Example
راسي معبّي تخمام
rassi m3abbi tkhmem
“My head is full of worries.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tkhmem” but also “to5mem”, “toukhmem”, “t5mem” and “takhmam”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.