sghira صغيرة
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“sghira” (صغيرة) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning small (size).
Meanings
- small (size)
- young, younger
- little girl
Usage
Sghira is the feminine of sghir. It describes size ("bit sghira", a small room) or age ("okhti es-sghira", my little sister, my younger sister; "hiya mazelet sghira", she is still young). Used on its own, it can mean a little girl, a child. The diminutive sghayra or sghayyra adds an affectionate nuance. The plural is sghar. The adjective comes after the noun and agrees with it. For "a little", this word is not used; say chwaya.
Example
أختي الصغيرة تقرا في الليسي
o5ti es-sghira te9ra fel lycée
“My little sister is in the lycée.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sghira” but also “s8ira”, “sghiraa”, “esghira” and “sghayra”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.