fosten فستان
Tunisian Derja · noun
“fosten” (فستان) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning dress (women's garment).
Meanings
- dress (women's garment)
Usage
Fosten refers to a dress, especially a formal or ceremonial one. It is understood everywhere in Tunisia, but in everyday conversation people most often say robba, a French loanword. Fosten is heard more in a somewhat formal register, in the media, or about fashion and weddings. The usual plural is fsatin. Pitfall for an English speaker: don't assume fosten is the spontaneous everyday word; for an ordinary dress, robba is more natural.
Example
شرات فستان جديد للعرس
chret fosten jdid lel 3ors
“She bought a new dress for the wedding.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “fosten” but also “fostan”, “foustan” and “fustan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.