sakhan سخان
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sakhan” (سخان) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning water heater.
Meanings
- water heater
- heating appliance
Usage
Sakhkhān mainly refers to the household water heater. It is often specified: "sakhkhān mā" (water heater) or "sakhkhān chamsi" (solar water heater, very common on rooftops). In conversation, many people also say "chauffe-bain", borrowed from French; sakhkhān is used more by plumbers, in shops and in advertising. Do not confuse it with skhāna, which means "fever" or "heat". Common plural: sakhkhānāt.
Example
السخان طاح، ما ثمّاش ماء سخون.
e sakhan ta7, ma famech ma skhoun.
“The water heater is broken, there's no hot water.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sakhan” but also “sakhen”, “sa5an” and “sakhkhan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.