emti7an امتحان
Tunisian Derja · noun
“emti7an” (امتحان) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning school or university exam.
Meanings
- school or university exam
- ordeal, test
Usage
Emti7an is the usual word for a school or university exam: 3andi emti7an ghodwa, "I have an exam tomorrow". The plural is emti7anet. At school, you also hear French loanwords such as "devoir" or "contrôle". For the baccalaureate, people simply say el-bac. Figuratively, it means a trial in life or being put to the test. The related verb is t3adda emti7an, "to take an exam".
Example
عندي امتحان غدوة وما قريت شي
3andi emti7an ghodwa w ma 9rit chay
“I have an exam tomorrow and I haven't studied anything.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “emti7an” but also “imti7an”, “imtihan” and “emti7anet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.