birra بيرة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“birra” (بيرة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning beer.
Meanings
- beer
- brewer's yeast (khmira birra)
Usage
Birra is the common, adapted loanword for beer. It is pronounced with a rolled r, often doubled. The word refers to the drink in general, a bottle or a can: "jebli birra" (bring me a beer). "Jagma birra" means a sip of beer. The subject remains sensitive in some circles, but the word itself is neutral. In the expression "khmira birra" it means brewer's yeast, sold in pharmacies or used in cooking. The plural is birrat. For brands, people often use the brand name instead.
Example
نشربو بيرة في البحر؟
nochorbou birra fel b7ar?
“Shall we drink a beer at the beach?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “birra” but also “bira” and “biera”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “birra” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “beer”: bira in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “beer”; “alcoholic drink (by extension)”: birra in Algerian.