ba7ri بحري

Tunisian Derja · adjective

“ba7ri” (بحري) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning of the sea, maritime.

Meanings

1. of the sea, maritime
2. northern (direction)
3. wild-caught (fish)

Usage

Bahri describes what comes from the sea or relates to it: rih bahri (sea wind), hout bahri. At the market, hout bahri means fish caught at sea, as opposed to farmed fish. It is considered better and costs more. In Tunisia, bahri is also used to mean north, since the sea lies to the north for much of the country. It is then the opposite of qebli (south). For example: ech-chamal bahri. Bahri is also a common first name and surname. Do not confuse the adjective with it in proper names.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ba7ri” but also “bahri”, “bahry” and “ba7ry”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.

Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.

Type “ba7ri” on the Arabic keyboard

In Moroccan Darija

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “of the sea, marine”; “naval, maritime”: b7ri in Moroccan.