qmar قمار
Tunisian Derja · noun
“qmar” (قمار) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning gambling, games of chance.
Meanings
- gambling, games of chance
- betting, stake
Usage
Qmar refers to gambling in general: card games with stakes, sports betting, slot machines. The word has a strong negative religious and moral connotation and often appears alongside 7ram, "forbidden". It turns up in criticism of television programs or paid contests. For the person who gambles, you say qammar, "compulsive gambler". The common verb is l3eb qmar, "to gamble money". Do not confuse this word with el qmar, "the moon", which is spelled the same way.
Example
خسر فلوسو الكل في القمار.
khser flousou el kol fel qmar.
“He lost all his money gambling.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “qmar” but also “kmar”, “9mar”, “gmar” and “qimar”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.