set3ach ستطاش
Tunisian Derja · numeral
“set3ach” (ستطاش) is a numeral in Tunisian Derja meaning sixteen.
Meanings
- sixteen
Usage
Set3ach is the Tunisian form of "sixteen". As with the other numbers from eleven to nineteen, the noun that follows stays singular: "set3ach nhar" (sixteen days), "set3ach dinar". The number is also used for dates ("set3ach fivrié") and age ("3andou set3ach sna"). For an English speaker, the main pitfall is this singular after the number, whereas from three to ten the plural is used. Pronunciation varies a little by region (setta3ch, sitta3ch), but the word is understood everywhere.
Example
عندها ستطاش سنة
3andha set3ach sna
“She is sixteen years old.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “set3ach” but also “setta3ch”, “sitta3ch”, “seta3ch” and “setta3ech”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.