t3arra تعرى
Tunisian Derja · verb
“t3arra” (تعرى) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to undress, to strip.
Meanings
- to undress, to strip
- to be exposed, uncovered
Usage
T3arra means to remove one's clothes, partly or entirely. It is used in everyday situations, for example at the doctor's, at the hammam, or when changing a child, without any vulgar connotation. The corresponding transitive verb is 3arra ("to undress someone"). It is also used figuratively to say that a thing or person ends up uncovered or exposed. The present tense is conjugated yit3arra. In a religious or elevated register, the classical form is found. For an English speaker, note: the verb is pronominal in its t- form, so it takes no object.
Example
تعرّى باش يعمل الفحص عند الطبيب
t3arra bech ya3mel el fa7s 3and tbib
“He undressed to be examined at the doctor's.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “t3arra” but also “ta3arra” and “t3ara”. 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.