3af عاف
Tunisian Derja · verb
“3af” (عاف) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to be sick of, to loathe.
Meanings
- to be sick of, to loathe
- to lose one's appetite for
Usage
3af, in the imperfect ya3if, expresses disgust or weariness, often after excess: one "3af"s a dish eaten too often, then by extension a person or a situation. The most common form is first person: "3eft" ("I'm fed up"). The complement attaches directly to the verb: "3eftou" ("I'm fed up with him, with that"). The register is informal and everyday. Don't confuse it with 3afa ("to heal, to protect"), found in religious formulas like "Allahomma 3afini".
Example
عفت المقرونة، كليناها كل نهار
3eft el ma9rouna, kelinaha kol nhar
“I'm fed up with pasta, we've eaten it every day.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3af” but also “3eft”, “aaf” and “3aaf”. 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.