arb3in اربعين
Tunisian Derja · numeral
“arb3in” (اربعين) is a numeral in Tunisian Derja meaning forty.
Meanings
- forty
- fortieth day after a death
Usage
Arb3in is the cardinal number "forty". It is used for ages, prices and quantities, followed by the noun in the singular: arb3in dinar, arb3in 3am. In compound numbers, the unit comes first and is joined with w: khamsa w arb3in (forty-five). With the article, el arb3in also refers to the commemoration of the fortieth day after a death. The expression oum arb3a w arb3in, literally "the mother of forty-four", means the centipede. In speech, the middle vowel is often reduced (arb3in), which explains the varied spellings online.
Example
عندو اربعين عام وما زال ما عرّسش
3andou arb3in 3am w mazel ma 3arrsech
“He is forty years old and still hasn't married.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “arb3in” but also “arba3in”, “arbe3in”, “arbaain” and “arb3ine”. 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.