chatt شط
Tunisian Derja · noun
“chatt” (شط) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning beach, seaside.
Meanings
- beach, seaside
- chott, salt lake
Usage
In Tunisia, chatt is the ordinary word for "beach": nemchiw lel chatt means "we're going to the beach". It is used in summer for outings, swimming and seaside holidays. In the south of the country, the same word refers to the large salt depressions, such as the Chott el Jerid. The spelling chott, inherited from French maps, corresponds mostly to this second meaning. The word bhar means the sea itself. People often say 3al chatt for "on the beach".
Example
غدوة نمشيو للشط بكري.
ghodwa nemchiw lel chatt bekri.
“Tomorrow we're going to the beach early.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chatt” but also “chat”, “chott” and “shatt”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.