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 (hīč), 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 (ʔāl, “to say”), فكّر (fakkar, “to think”), and similar transitive verbs of expression, عِمِل (ʕimil, “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.

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.”)