5ir خير
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“5ir” (خير) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning better, preferable.
Meanings
- better, preferable
- good, well-being, blessing
- what's wrong? (5ir ?)
Usage
5ir is mostly used as a comparative, meaning "better" or "preferable". It is built with min: hadha 5ir min hadhak, "this one is better than that one". With the preposition l- and a pronoun, it means "it's better for you": 5irlek. Used as a noun, it means "good". It appears in many formulas: sba7 el-5ir "good morning", b5ir "well, in good health", kol 3am w enti b5ir for good wishes. Alone and with a questioning tone, 5ir ? means "what's going on?". In this case, it expresses worry or mild reproach.
Example
هكّا خير
hakka 5ir
“It's better this way.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “5ir” but also “khir”, “khyr”, “5iir”, “khayrou” and “5irr”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.
Type “5ir” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “good, favor, kindness”; “plenty, prosperity, provisions”: khir in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “good, what is good”; “better”: khir in Algerian.