maghaza مغازة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“maghaza” (مغازة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning shop, store.
Meanings
- shop, store
- business premises
Usage
Maghaza is the usual word for a shop or store. It is used mostly for clothing, shoe or household appliance shops, and for large retail stores. The plural is maghazet. Typical phrases are "maghazet 7wayej" or "maghazet dbech" (clothes shop) and "3andou maghaza" (he runs a business). For a small neighbourhood grocery, people say "7anout" instead. For a large supermarket, "el magazin" or the name of the chain is also used.
Example
حلّ مغازة حوايج في وسط البلاد.
7all maghaza 7wayej fi wost lblad.
“He opened a clothes shop in the town centre.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “maghaza” but also “m8aza”, “mghaza” and “maghazet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.