m5ar امخر
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“m5ar” (امخر) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning late, behind schedule.
Meanings
- late, behind schedule
- late (at night)
Usage
M5ar is the usual adverb for "late" or "behind schedule". You say jit m5ar (I arrived late), r9adt m5ar (I went to bed late), nouwsel m5ar chwaya (I'll arrive a bit late). To specify how late, b- is used: m5ar b nos se3a (half an hour late). The initial vowel i- or e- is often pronounced before the consonant cluster, which explains the varied spellings. The word is neutral and used in all registers. Its opposite is bekri (early).
Example
اليوم جيت امخر للخدمة
lyoum jit m5ar lel5edma
“Today I arrived late to work.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “m5ar” but also “mkhar”, “em5ar”, “imkhar” and “m5ir”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.