bekri بكري
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“bekri” (بكري) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning early, in good time.
Meanings
- early, in good time
- formerly, in the old days
- old-time, of the past (after a noun)
Usage
Bekri has two very common uses. First it means "early": "rgod bekri" (go to bed early), "mazel bekri" (it's still early). It also means "formerly": "bekri ken a7sen" (it used to be better). Placed after a noun, it describes it as old or traditional: "nes bekri" (people of the old days), "5ob bekri" (bread of yesteryear). Only context tells the two meanings apart. To say "ahead of time" for an appointment, bekri is also used. The opposite of "early" is ma3tal or fil le5er.
Example
شبيكم ياخي ما زال بكري خلّيني ساهرين شويّة
Chbikom ye5i mazel bokri 5alin sehrin chwaya
“What's wrong with you, man? It's still early, let us stay up a bit.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bekri” but also “bokri”, “bakri”, “bekry” and “bkri”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “bekri” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “early, in good time”; “formerly, in the past”: bekri in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “in the past, before, long ago”; “men bekri: for a long time”: bekri in Algerian.