9at3a قطعة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9at3a” (قطعة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning piece, portion.
Meanings
- piece, portion
- piece, unit (when buying)
- spare part
Usage
9at3a means a piece detached from a whole: 9at3a mel khobz (a piece of bread), 9at3a gateau (a slice of cake). At the market or in a shop, it is used for counting by the unit: bkadech el 9at3a?, "how much is each one?". In mechanics, it also means a spare part. The plural is 9ta3. The dual 9at3tin, "two pieces", is common. The word is in the common register and is not slangy. In arabizi writing, the "9" stands for qaf, often pronounced as a hard "g" in some regions.
Example
عطيني قطعة خبز من فضلك.
a3tini 9at3a khobz men fadhlek.
“Give me a piece of bread, please.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9at3a” but also “qat3a”, “9at3aa” and “gat3a”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.