9o3ad قعاد
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9o3ad” (قعاد) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning living room (in "bit 9o3ad").
Meanings
- living room (in "bit 9o3ad")
- sitting, staying
Usage
The word 9o3ad refers to sitting down or staying somewhere. It is mostly found in the expression bit 9o3ad, "the room where one sits", that is, the family living room. It is often contrasted with bit nous (bedroom) and bit ftour (dining room) when talking about a home or furniture: for example, you buy a bit 9o3ad, meaning a living-room set. The register is everyday and familiar. Note that the salla, which is more formal, is rather used for receiving guests, whereas the bit 9o3ad is the family's living space.
Example
قعدنا الكل في بيت القعاد نتفرجو في التلفزة.
9a3adna el kol fi bit el 9o3ad netfarjou fi tolfza.
“We were all in the living room watching TV.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9o3ad” but also “9a3ad”, “gou3ad” and “9ou3ad”. 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.