erte7 ارتاح
Tunisian Derja · verb
“erte7” (ارتاح) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to rest, relax.
Meanings
- to rest, relax
- to feel relieved, at ease
- to rest (dough, mixture)
Usage
A very common verb: erta7 in the past, yerte7 / nerte7 in the imperfect. It is used after effort ("nerte7 chwaya", I'm resting a little), but also in the emotional sense: "erta7it", I'm relieved, my mind is at ease. In cooking, one says the dough is left to rest: "n5alliwha terte7". The construction "5alli + pronoun + yerte7" (let someone rest) is frequent. In the imperative, "erte7 !" can also mean "calm down, don't worry". The corresponding noun is "ra7a", rest.
Example
تعبت برشا، نحب نرتاح شوية
t3abt barcha, n7eb nerte7 chwaya
“I'm very tired, I want to rest a little.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “erte7” but also “yerta7”, “rta7” and “irta7”. 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.
Type “erte7” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “to rest, take a break”; “to relax, calm down”: rta7 in Moroccan.