9atra قطرة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9atra” (قطرة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning drop (of liquid).
Meanings
- drop (of liquid)
- eye drops, medicinal drops
Usage
9atra means a drop of water, rain or any other liquid. It appears in figurative expressions: 9atra 9atra "drop by drop, little by little", or 9atra fi bhar "a drop in the ocean" for a negligible effort. The plural is 9tour or 9atrat. Depending on context, the word also means medicinal drops, especially eye drops. It is also used to stress a lack: ma fammech 9atra ma "there isn't a drop of water". The register is neutral and common.
Example
ما بقاتش قطرة ماء في البيدون.
ma b9atech 9atra me fel bidoun.
“There isn't a drop of water left in the jerrycan.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9atra” but also “qatra”, “katra” and “gatra”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.