tlata w 3chrin تلاتة وعشرين
Moroccan Darija · numeral
“tlata w 3chrin” (تلاتة وعشرين) is a numeral in Moroccan Darija meaning twenty-three.
Meanings
- twenty-three
Usage
The number tlata w 3chrin is formed by putting the units first and then the tens, joined by w: literally "three and twenty". The noun that follows stays singular: tlata w 3chrin dirham, "twenty-three dirhams". English speakers need to watch this reversed order, especially for prices, ages and addresses. In spoken language, the w is often pronounced u or o. This number is not used for the time, since hours are counted from one to twelve.
Example
ساكن فالدار نمرة تلاتة وعشرين
saken f dar nmra tlata w 3chrin
“I live at number twenty-three.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tlata w 3chrin” but also “tlata o 3echrin”, “tlata u 3chrine” and “tlatawa3chrin”. 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.