redda ردة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“redda” (ردة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning reaction (in raddet el fe3l).
Meanings
- reaction (in raddet el fe3l)
- reply, comeback
Usage
Radda is almost always used in the expression raddet fe3l or raddet el fe3l, "reaction", modelled on Standard Arabic but perfectly common in speech. A possessive can be added: raddet fe3lou, "his reaction". The expression is used for a person as well as for an audience or customers. On its own, radda can mean a reply or a comeback, especially in an argument. Pitfall: in speech, the final t is pronounced before the complement (raddet), but not when the word stands alone (radda). Do not confuse with ridda, "apostasy", a religious term.
Example
ردة فعلو كانت خايبة برشا
raddet fe3lou kanet khayba barcha
“His reaction was very bad.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “redda” but also “radet”, “raddet”, “radda” and “reddet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.