wi وي
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“wi” (وي) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning yes.
Meanings
- yes
- right, okay
Usage
Wi is an adapted borrowing of French "oui", very common in Tunisia, especially in cities and among young people. It alternates freely with the Arabic forms eyh and ey. It is often combined: "eyh wi", "wi wi" for emphasis, "wi sa7" (yes, that's true). The register is informal to neutral; it suits everyday conversation but less so a formal speech. In arabizi it is spelled both wi and oui.
Example
وي، نجي معاك غدوة.
wi, nji m3ak ghodwa.
“Yes, I'll come with you tomorrow.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wi” but also “oui” and “wii”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “wi” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “yes”; “yes (agreeing, adding emphasis)”: wi in Algerian.