tlata w tlatin تلاتة وتلاتين
Moroccan Darija · numeral
“tlata w tlatin” (تلاتة وتلاتين) is a numeral in Moroccan Darija meaning thirty-three.
Meanings
- thirty-three
Usage
The compound number tlata w tlatin follows the order units then tens, joined by w ("and"), as with all numbers from 21 to 99. Literally, it is therefore "three and thirty". After a number, the noun stays singular: tlata w tlatin 3am, "thirty-three years". For an English speaker, the reversed order is the main pitfall, especially when listening to prices or phone numbers. In rapid speech, the w is often reduced to u or o.
Example
عندو تلاتة وتلاتين عام
3ando tlata w tlatin 3am
“He is thirty-three years old.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tlata w tlatin” but also “tlata o tlatin”, “tlata u tlatin” and “tlatawtlatin”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.