ba3din بعدين
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“ba3din” (بعدين) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning later, afterwards.
Meanings
- later, afterwards
- then, and then
- besides, anyway
Usage
Ba3din is used mainly in the Sahel and in Sfax. In Tunis, one hears mba3d or ba3d instead, with the same meaning. It refers to an unspecified future time ("later") or marks the continuation of a story ("afterwards, then"). At the start of a sentence, w ba3din can also introduce an additional argument ("and besides, anyway"). With a questioning tone, w ba3din? means "so what?". It is a standalone adverb: it takes no complement. To say "after something", use ba3d followed by a noun (ba3d l-ftour). The register is colloquial and neutral.
Example
توا ما عنديش وقت، نحكيو بعدين.
taw ma3andich wa9t, na7kiw ba3din.
“I don't have time right now, we'll talk later.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ba3din” but also “ba3dine”, “baadin”, “ba3deen” and “b3din”. 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.