Ways to say it
| Tunisian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| باهي | bahi | |
| جيد | jayyed | more formal, written |
باهي is the everyday Tunisian word for 'good', describing food, weather, news and much more, and it is the same word used for 'okay'. جيد (jayyed) is the more formal, written word for 'good'.
What does it mean word for word?
باهي is a core Tunisian dialect word with no simple literal translation beyond 'good' or 'fine'.
Which one should you use?
باهي fits casual, everyday description. جيد sounds bookish next to it and belongs more to writing.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
باهي is used in every informal setting, from describing a meal to describing someone's mood.
Is it said differently in some regions?
باهي is one of the clearest markers of Tunisian Arabic, used differently or not at all in neighbouring Maghrebi dialects.
How does it change in a sentence?
باهي does not change form for gender or number when used as a general description.
How do you pronounce it?
باهي stresses the first syllable, with a soft h in the middle.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using the Standard Arabic جيد in casual conversation sounds unusually formal next to the everyday باهي.
Did you know?
- باهي covers both 'good' and 'okay' in Tunisian Arabic, so the same word can describe a meal and also confirm a plan.
- باهي is a strong local marker, since Moroccan and Algerian Arabic do not use the same word in quite the same way.
Examples in context
- الماكلة باهية برشا.el-makla bahya barsha.The food is very good.
- الجو باهي اليوم.ej-jaw bahi el-youm.The weather is good today.
- خبر باهي هذا.khbar bahi hedha.This is good news.
Example conversation
Yosra asks her brother Zied how his new job is going.
- Yosraكيفاش الخدمة الجديدة؟kifash el-khedma ej-jdida?How is the new job?
- Ziedباهية برشا، والجماعة محترمين.bahya barsha, wej-jama3a mohtaramin.Very good, and the team is respectful.
- Yosraوالمعاش باهي؟wel-ma3ash bahi?And is the salary good?
- Ziedآه، معقول برشا.ah, ma3qul barsha.Yes, quite reasonable.
