metr متر
Tunisian Derja · noun
“metr” (متر) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning meter (unit of length).
Meanings
- meter (unit of length)
- very short distance
Usage
A unit of length, used as in French: metr wa7ed (one meter), zouz metr (two meters). In conversation, the word is also used to express a tiny distance, often through exaggeration: one says there is "not a meter" between two people to mean that they are very close to each other. It is heard a lot in football commentary, about shots missed a few meters from the goal. The usual plural is mtar, or simply metr after a number. Depending on the speaker, one also hears mitrou, which is closer to French.
Example
الحيط هذا طولو زوز متر.
el 7it hedha toulou zouz metr.
“This wall is two meters long.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “metr” but also “mitr”, “mitrou”, “mtr” and “metre”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.