3atchan عطشان
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“3atchan” (عطشان) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning thirsty.
Meanings
- thirsty
Usage
3atchan is the adjective for "thirsty". Tunisian simply says "ena 3atchan", with no verb. The feminine is 3atchana, the plural 3atchanin. It combines naturally with barcha for intensity ("3atchan barcha"). The corresponding verb is 3tech (to be thirsty, to be dehydrated) and the noun is 3tech (thirst). The counterpart for hunger is ji3an.
Example
عطيني شوية ماء، عطشان برشة
a3tini chwaya me, 3atchan barcha
“Give me a little water, I'm very thirsty.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3atchan” but also “atchan”, “3atchen” and “3atchane”. 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.
Type “3atchan” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “thirsty”: 3tchan in Moroccan.