chambra شمبرة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“chambra” (شمبرة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning bedroom, room where one sleeps.
Meanings
- bedroom, room where one sleeps
- room of a house
Usage
Chombra is a loanword adapted from French "chambre", fully integrated into derja. It mainly refers to the room where one sleeps, while bit remains the general word for a room or bedroom. It is heard in expressions like chombra mta3 ennoum (bedroom) or chombrti (my bedroom), with Arabic possessive suffixes. The common plural is chombrat. The register is informal and everyday. Avoid pronouncing it the French way: the final vowel is a short "a" and the "m" is clearly heard. It is also used for a hotel room or dormitory room.
Example
دخل للشمبرة متاعو وسكّر الباب
dkhal lel chombra mte3ou w sakker el bab
“He went into his bedroom and closed the door.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chambra” but also “chombra”, “chembra” and “shambra”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “chambra” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “room, bedroom”; “hotel room”: chambra in Algerian.