asmar اسمر

Tunisian Derja · adjective

“asmar” (اسمر) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning olive-skinned, tanned.

Meanings

1. olive-skinned, tanned
2. brown, dark-coloured

Usage

Asmar mainly describes a person with an olive or tanned complexion. The feminine is samra, the plural is sumr. The word is common and neutral, often affectionate or flattering: popular songs readily celebrate the beauty of a samra. It also applies to certain dark-coloured things, such as brown sugar (sokkor asmar) or wholemeal bread. Pitfall: asmar does not describe hair colour, unlike "brown" in "brown hair" in English. For dark hair, another term is used instead. Asmar is primarily about skin, and its connotation is positive.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “asmar” but also “esmer”, “asmer”, “asmr” and “esmar”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.

Type “asmar” on the Arabic keyboard