masra7 مسرح
Tunisian Derja · noun
“masra7” (مسرح) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning theatre (dramatic art).
Meanings
- theatre (dramatic art)
- theatre building
- stage, setting of an event
Usage
Masra7 refers both to the dramatic art and to the building where plays are performed. You say "nemchi lel masra7" to go and see a play, and "masra7 el-blediya" for the municipal theatre. In conversation, many Tunisians also use the French "théâtre", especially in cities. The word remains the normal form in the media and in education. The plural is masare7. Figuratively, as in French, it can denote the place where events unfold, but this use belongs more to a formal or journalistic register.
Example
البارح مشينا للمسرح وشفنا مسرحية باهية برشا.
lbare7 mchina lel masra7 w chofna masra7iya behya barcha.
“Yesterday we went to the theatre and saw a really good play.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “masra7” but also “masrah”, “masre7” and “mesra7”. 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 “masra7” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “theatre (art form, venue)”; “stage”: masra7 in Moroccan.