si سى
Tunisian Derja · particle
“si” (سى) is a particle in Tunisian Derja meaning Mr. (title before a first name).
Meanings
- Mr. (title before a first name)
- respectful title for an elder
Usage
Si goes before a man's first name to show respect: "si Mohamed", "si Abdellatif". It is the usual polite way to address an elderly neighbour, a teacher, a person in charge or a public figure. Unlike "Mr." or "sir", it is not placed before a family name and is not used alone to call out to a stranger. For that, people say "ya 3ammi" or "ya sidi" instead. For a woman, the equivalent is "lella" before the first name. The tone can become ironic when used between friends.
Example
صباح الخير سي محمد، لاباس عليك؟
sba7 el khir si Mohamed, labes 3lik ?
“Good morning, Mr. Mohamed, how are you?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “si” but also “ssi” and “sy”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.