bi3 بيع
Tunisian Derja · noun
“bi3” (بيع) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning sale, selling.
Meanings
- sale, selling
- sell! (imperative)
Usage
Bi3 is the noun for the action of selling. It is often found in the fixed pair el bi3 wel chri, "trade, business". It is common in ads and on social media: "bi3 karhba", "bi3 bel 9sit" (sale on credit). The same word also serves as the imperative of the verb ba3/ybi3, "sell!": "bi3ha w erta7". Context distinguishes the two uses. For "to buy", one says chra/yechri, hence chri, "purchase". The register is neutral and it is used everywhere, in speech as well as in written ads.
Example
البيع والشري ولى صعيب برشا.
el bi3 wel chri wella s3ib barcha.
“Trade has become very hard.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bi3” but also “bie3” and “bi3a”. 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.