bit nn3as بيت نعاس
Moroccan Darija · noun
“bit nn3as” (بيت نعاس) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning bedroom.
Meanings
- bedroom
Usage
Bit nn3as literally means "the room of sleep". It is the usual term for the bedroom, as opposed to the living room, called "salon" or "sala". The word "bit" alone already means a room, but adding "nn3as" specifies that it is the room where one sleeps. The expression is also used for the whole set of bedroom furniture: one says "chrina bit nn3as jdida" to announce buying a complete new bedroom set, with the bed and the wardrobe. The register is neutral and familiar.
Example
دخل لبيت النعاس ونعس شوية
dkhol l bit nn3as w n3es chwiya
“Go into the bedroom and sleep a bit.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bit nn3as” but also “bit n3as” and “bit na3as”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.