chkoun enti شكون انت
Tunisian Derja · expression
“chkoun enti” (شكون انت) is an expression in Tunisian Derja meaning who are you?.
Meanings
- who are you?
- who do you think you are?
Usage
Chkoun enti is the usual way to ask "who are you?", for example on the phone or when facing a stranger. In Tunisian, enti (or inti) is used for both a man and a woman, except in some regions that distinguish the two genders. Depending on the intonation, the question can become aggressive: "who do you think you are?", to challenge someone's right to speak or intervene. To be polite with a stranger, soften it with smah7li or, on the phone, say chkoun m3aya ? instead. The polite or plural form is entouma.
Example
سامحني، شكون انتي؟ ما عرفتكش.
same7ni, chkoun enti? ma 3raftekch.
“Excuse me, who are you? I didn't recognise you.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chkoun enti” but also “chkoun inti”, “chkon enti”, “shkoun enti” and “chkoun nti”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “chkoun enti” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “who are you?”; “who do you think you are?”: chkoun nta in Algerian.