Tunisian Derja – English dictionary

Tunisian Derja is the Arabic spoken every day in Tunisia. You can tell it by barcha (a lot), tawa (now), behi (good), famma (there is) and chnowa (what), and by its long a that often leans towards e: ena (I) where Morocco and Algeria say ana.

It has borrowed a great deal from French and Italian. In Arabizi, 5 commonly stands for kha, alongside 3, 7 and 9: 5edma (work), 3lech (why).

3,514 words are explained here in English, each with its meanings, usage, a translated example and the ways it is written in Latin letters.

The 100 most common words

Ranked by how often they appear in a corpus of Tunisian texts, leaving out function words (conjunctions, prepositions, particles).

1. elli الي who
2. allah الله God
3. ena انا I
4. ken كان was
5. ey اي yes
6. tawa توا now
7. enti انت you
8. howa هو he
9. 7atta حتى even
10. ih ايه yes
11. ah اه ah
12. kol كل every
13. haya هيا come on
14. ach اش what
15. behi باهي good
16. barcha برشا a lot
17. wa7ed واحد one
18. hedhi هذي this one
19. chnowa شنوا what
20. ti تي come on
21. 7aja حاجة thing
22. nhar نهار day
23. chwaya شوية a little
24. kifech كيفاش how
25. zeda زادا also
26. hakka هكة like this
27. labes لاباس fine
28. hak هاك that
29. 3lech علاش why
30. bellehi بالله please
31. ghodwa غدوة tomorrow
32. win وين where
33. 9al قال to say
34. marra مرة time
35. dima ديما always
36. 5ir خير better
37. a7na احنا we
38. chnia شنيا what
39. chkoun شكون who
40. houma هوما they
41. t7eb تحب you want
42. rajel راجل man
43. wa9t وقت time
44. lillah لله to God
45. weldi ولدي my son
46. benti بنتي my daughter
47. aya ايا come on
48. e5er اخر other
49. yesser ياسر very
50. lwa7ed الواحد one
51. lbere7 البارح yesterday
52. akther اكثر more
53. se3a ساعة hour
54. ta3ref تعرف you know
55. hakeka هكاكة like this
56. 7ad حد nobody
57. sab3a سبعة seven
58. mazel مازال still
59. khamsa خمسة five
60. wa9tech وقتاش when?
61. 7asilou حاصيلو in short
62. nosf نصف half
63. 9adech قداش how much
64. 5ouya خويا my brother
65. nes ناس people
66. rou7i روحي myself
67. sid سيد master
68. si سي Mr
69. arb3a اربعة four
70. ja جى to come
71. lezem لازم must
72. zouz زوز two
73. dar دار house
74. 7keya حكاية story
75. hadheka هذاكة that one
76. thama ثمة there is
77. 9ad قد the size of
78. wa9tha وقتها then
79. 3am عام year
80. om ام mother
81. youm يوم day
82. barabi بربي please
83. s7i7 صحيح true
84. awel اول first
85. kbir كبير big
86. alf الف thousand
87. sa7a صحة health
88. nafs نفس same
89. 3andou عندو he has
90. tes3a تسعة nine
91. 3abd عبد person
92. yemken يمكن maybe
93. bekri بكري early
94. 3echrin عشرين twenty
95. bel7a9 بالحق by the way
96. weld ولد son
97. barra برا outside
98. baba بابا dad
99. ras راس head
100. hna هنا here

All words from A to Z

Words that begin with a digit are filed under the sound it stands for: 3 with A, 7 with H, 9 with K, 5 with the K of “kh”.

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