wa7d w tlatin واحد وتلاتين
Moroccan Darija · numeral
“wa7d w tlatin” (واحد وتلاتين) is a numeral in Moroccan Darija meaning thirty-one.
Meanings
- thirty-one
Usage
Wa7d u tlatin is the usual form of "thirty-one" in darija. As with all compound tens, the unit comes first, linked to the tens by "u" (or "w"), and not the other way round. The counted noun follows in the singular: wa7d u tlatin 3am, wa7d u tlatin derham. It is often heard for age, dates of the month and prices. An English speaker instinctively says "tlatin u wa7d", which is incorrect. In prices, the count may be in ryal or in derham depending on the speaker: check which unit is meant.
Example
عندو واحد وتلاتين عام
3ndo wa7d u tlatin 3am
“He is thirty-one years old.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wa7d w tlatin” but also “wahed w tlatin”, “wa7d o tlatin” and “wa7ed u tlatin”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.