met3a متعة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“met3a” (متعة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning pleasure, delight.
Meanings
- pleasure, delight
- a treat, great fun
Usage
Met3a means the pleasure one takes in something: a meal, a song, an outing, a great match. The exclamation "mella met3a !" (what a pleasure!) is very common, especially among football commentators and supporters. One also says "met3a ma ba3dha met3a" (a pleasure beyond compare). The word is shared by standard Arabic and the spoken dialect, and it stays neutral. The plural "mta3" exists but is rare. Note: do not confuse it with "mte3" (of, belonging to), which is pronounced similarly.
Example
الماتش البارح كان ملا متعة.
el match lbare7 ken mella met3a.
“Yesterday's match was a real pleasure.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “met3a” but also “mot3a”, “mat3a”, “metaa” and “mut3a”. 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.