sifa صيفة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sifa” (صيفة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning way, manner.
Meanings
- way, manner
- shape, appearance
- kind, sort
Usage
Sifa is mainly used to talk about how something is done: "b'anhi sifa?" means "in what way?", "how?". It also refers to the appearance or shape of an object or person ("sifetha mezyena", she looks good) and, more colloquially, to a kind or sort of things, sometimes with a nuance of strangeness. The expression "bkol sifa" means "anyway, in any case". Be careful not to confuse it with the standard Arabic sifa, "quality, attribute", a meaning less common in speech.
Example
بأنهي صيفة باش نوصلو لغادي؟
b'anhi sifa bech nouslou leghadi?
“How are we going to get there?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sifa” but also “sifet”, “syfa”, “seefa” and “sifaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.