m3arres معرس
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“m3arres” (معرس) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning married.
Meanings
- married
- newlywed, groom
Usage
M3arres means married, used of a man as well as a woman (feminine m3arsa). It is used for marital status: "enti m3arsa?" (are you married?), "mahouch m3arres" (he is not married). It can also refer to the newlywed, in competition with "3rous" (the groom, the bride). The word is related to "3ors" (wedding, marriage celebration). The register is everyday. Do not confuse with "m3arres" meaning "one who organizes a wedding": context decides. For "single", one says "3zeb" (man) or "3azba" (woman).
Example
خويا معرس وعندو زوز صغار.
khouya m3arres w 3andou zouz sghar.
“My brother is married and has two children.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “m3arres” but also “m3ares”, “mo3arres”, “m3arss” and “m3arrass”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.