chnia شنيا
Tunisian Derja · pronoun
“chnia” (شنيا) is a pronoun in Tunisian Derja meaning what.
Meanings
- what
- which, what (before a noun)
- which, what kind of
Usage
Chniya is one of the interrogative pronouns meaning "what", along with chnowa and chnou. Usage partly divides them by gender: chniya is readily used before a feminine noun ("chniya el 7keya?", what's the story?). Chnowa remains the most neutral form. It is found at the start of a question ("chniya sar?") or at the end of a sentence for emphasis ("9oulli chniya"). It is also used in indirect questions: "ma fhemtch chniya t7eb" (I didn't understand what you want). Its register is informal and common. Do not confuse it with chkoun, "who".
Example
شنيا صار؟
chniya sar?
“What happened?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chnia” but also “chniya”, “chnya”, “chneya” and “chenya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find شنيا and شنية, all the same word.