3in عين
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3in” (عين) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning eye.
Meanings
- eye
- water spring
- evil eye
Usage
3in means the eye. For "eyes", use the form 3inin, of dual origin, or 3iniya with a possessive: 3iniya (my eyes). The word also means a spring, hence many place names such as 3in Drahem. On its own, el 3in often refers to the evil eye: darbetou el 3in (he was struck by the evil eye). Several expressions are common: 3al 3in w er-ras (with pleasure), 3inou 7ayya (he has a sharp eye, he is shrewd). The verb 3ayyen means to appoint to a post.
Example
كلّ ما تغمّش عينيك تشوفها
koll ma tghamméch 3inik tchoufha
“Every time you close your eyes, you see her.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3in” but also “3ine”, “ain”, “3ayn” and “3inin”. 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 “3in” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “to appoint, assign to a post”; “to designate, set”: 3ayyen in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “eye”; “spring, water source”: 3in in Algerian.