bsal بصل
Tunisian Derja · noun
“bsal” (بصل) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning onion (vegetable).
Meanings
- onion (vegetable)
- green onion, scallion (bsal akhdher)
Usage
Bsal is the usual word for onion. It is a collective noun: "bsal" means onions in general or a quantity, and "bsala" a single onion. The variety is specified with an adjective: bsal ahmar (red onion), bsal abyadh (white onion), bsal akhdher (green onion). Onion is the base of most Tunisian stewed dishes, often mentioned alongside thoum (garlic) and zit zitoun (olive oil). At the market, you ask for it by the kilo: "kilo bsal". The word is also used in colloquial expressions for something that makes you cry or smells strong.
Example
قصّلي زوز بصلات للكسكسي.
9osseli zouz bsalet lel kosksi.
“Chop me two onions for the couscous.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bsal” but also “bsel” and “bssal”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “bsal” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “onion (collective)”: bsel in Moroccan.