5mastachen خمستاشن
Tunisian Derja · numeral
“5mastachen” (خمستاشن) is a numeral in Tunisian Derja meaning fifteen (before a noun).
Meanings
- fifteen (before a noun)
Usage
5mastachen is the form of “fifteen” used directly before a noun: “5mastachen d9i9a” (fifteen minutes), “5mastachen dinar”. Used alone, for counting or answering, the number is 5mastach. All the numbers from eleven to nineteen follow this pattern, with a final linking -n: 7dachen, tna3chen, etc. The noun that follows stays singular, which often surprises English speakers. The word belongs to the everyday register and is used for time, prices and durations.
Example
نجي بعد خمستاشن دقيقة.
Nji ba3d 5mastachen d9i9a.
“I'll be there in fifteen minutes.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “5mastachen” but also “khmastachen”, “5mstachn” and “khmostachen”. 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.