sarf صرف
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sarf” (صرف) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning small change, coins.
Meanings
- small change, coins
- currency exchange
Usage
Sarf mainly means small change, that is, the coins or small bills that you give back or ask for. The typical question at the grocer's or in a taxi is "3andek sarf ?": do you have change? Sarf also means currency exchange, for example "bureau de sarf" or "sarf el euro" (the euro exchange rate). Note that it does not mean "money" in general: for that, one says flous. The same root gives the verb sraf (to spend, to make change) and masrouf (expenses, pocket money).
Example
سامحني، ما عنديش صرف.
sam7ni, ma3andich sarf.
“Sorry, I don't have any change.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sarf” but also “srf” and “sarff”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.