هيك

هيك

North Levantine Arabic

Alternative forms

• هَيكِي‎ (hayke, hēke)

Etymology

From Arabic هَٰكَذَا‎ (hākaḏā, “thus, so”), perhaps via an intermediate form like the rarer South Levantine Arabic هَيْكَا‎ (hēka, also found in other varieties). Cognate to Egyptian Arabic كِدَه‎ (keda), كِدَا‎ (keda), Moroccan Arabic هَكدَا‎ (hākda), هَكَّا‎ (hākka), Iraqi Arabic هَيچ‎ (hēč), and others.

Adverb

هيك • (hayk, hēk)

1. so, thus, like so
2. this way (i.e., direction), that way (i.e., direction) (e.g., to look this or that way, i.e., in this or that direction)
3. (by extension) this, that; used as a pronominal object of قال‎ (ʾāl, “to say”), فكّر‎ (fakkar, “to think”), and similar transitive verbs of expression, عِمِل‎ (ʿimil, “to do”) and synonyms, and comparative مِن‎ (min, “than”).

   ‏ليه قلت هيك؟ ليه عملت هيك؟ فكرتك أفضل من هيك‎‎

   lē ʾilt hēk? lē ʿmilt hēk? fakkartak ʾafḍal min hēk

   Why did you say that? Why did you do that? I thought you were better than this.

   (literally, “Why did you say so? Why did you do so? I thought you better than so”)

Usage notes

• The use of demonstratives like هيدا‎ (hayda, “this”, proximal demonstrative) and especially هيداك‎ (haydāk, “that”, distal demonstrative) in the contexts demonstrated by the last usage example, which would parallel English usage of "this" and "that", is ungrammatical.

Derived terms

• مشاك، مشيك‎ (mišēk, “no?”, tag question)

Determiner

هيك • (hayk, hēk)

1. such; such kind, this kind of

   ‏ما فيي اتحمل هيك حكي منك!‎‎

   Ma fīyi tḥammal haik ḥaki minnak.

   I can’t stand this kind of talk on your part.

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South Levantine Arabic

Alternative forms

• هيكي‎ (hēke)

Etymology

From Arabic هَٰكَذَا‎ (hākaḏā, “thus, so”). Cognate to Egyptian Arabic كِدَه‎ (keda), كِدَا‎ (keda), Moroccan Arabic هَكدَا‎ (hākda), هَكَّا‎ (hākka), Iraqi Arabic هَيچ‎ (hēč), and others.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /heːk/, [heːk]

• Audio (Ramallah)

  (file)

Adverb

هيك • (hēk)

1. so, thus, like this, like that

   ‏مش هيك؟‎‎

   miš hēk?

   Isn't that so?

   ‏لازم تعمله هيك.‎‎

   lāzem tiʕmelo hēk

   You have to do it like this.

2. (by extension) this, that

   ‏هو أطول من هيك.‎‎

   hū ʔaṭwal min hēk

   He's taller than that.

   ‏ما قلتش هيك.‎‎

   ma ʔult-š hēk

   I didn't say that.

   (literally, “I didn't say so.”)

Derived terms

• هيك هيك‎ (hēk hēk, “such-and-such; anyway”)
• عشان هيك‎ (ʕašān hēk, “therefore”)

Determiner

هيك • (hēk)

1. such, like this, like that

   ‏ما بحبّ أتعامل مع هيك ناس.‎‎

   mā baḥebb ʔatʕāmal maʕ hēk nās

   I don't like to interact with such people.

   ‏كان فيه تلاتة أربعة هيك شي.‎‎

   kān fīh talāte ʔarbʕa hēk ši

   There were about three or four.

   (literally, “There were three, four, something like that.”)