3ajla عجلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3ajla” (عجلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning wheel.
Meanings
- wheel
- tyre
Usage
The word 3ajla refers to a vehicle's wheel and, by extension, the tyre. The expression 3ajla mafchoucha or 3ajla man9ouba means "flat tyre". One says beddel el 3ajla for "change the wheel". The spare wheel is called 3ajla de secours. The plural is 3jal. The French loan roue is also heard. A pitfall for those who know Egyptian: there, 3ajla also means a bicycle, whereas in Tunisia a bicycle is called bisklet. Do not confuse it with 3jal, "haste", as in bel 3jal.
Example
العجلة متاع الكرهبة مفشوشة
el 3ajla mta3 el karhba mafchoucha
“The car's tyre is flat.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3ajla” but also “ajla”, “3ajjla”, “3jla” and “3ajela”. 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.