twa7ach توحش
Tunisian Derja · verb
“twa7ach” (توحش) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to miss someone's absence.
Meanings
- to miss someone's absence
- to long for something
Usage
Twa77ach is the common verb for missing a person, place, or thing. Pitfall for an English speaker: the construction is reversed compared to French. The subject is the one who feels the longing. "Twa77achtek" therefore means "I miss you" (literally "I have regretted you"), and "twa77ach ommou" means "he misses his mother". It is widely used in affectionate messages, reunions, and when talking about the diaspora, one's country, or family. The corresponding noun is wa7ch, "the longing". The register is informal and warm.
Example
توحّشتك برشا
twa7achtek barcha
“I missed you a lot.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “twa7ach” but also “twa7chet”, “twahach” and “twa77ach”. 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.