t3adda تعدى
Tunisian Derja · verb
“t3adda” (تعدى) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to pass by, drop in on someone.
Meanings
- to pass by, drop in on someone
- to move on to the next stage
- to overstep, break the rules
Usage
T3adda is a very common verb for "to pass". It is often built with 3la: t3adda 3lia (he dropped by my place, he visited me in passing). With l- or lel-, it means to move on to something else or to the next stage, for example t3adda lel-kas for a team that has qualified. In the moral sense, t3adda 3al-9anoun means to break the law. The present is yet3adda and the imperative is t3adda: "t3adda!", "go ahead!", to let someone through. Pitfall: t3adda 3lih can also mean to go after someone, depending on context.
Example
نتعدّى عليك العشيّة
net3adda 3lik l3chiya
“I'll drop by your place this evening.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “t3adda” but also “t3ada”, “ta3ada”, “t3addit”, “ta3da” and “t3adde”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find تعدى and تعدا, all the same word.
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.