ta3ref تعرف
Tunisian Derja · verb
“ta3ref” (تعرف) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning you know (a fact or person).
Meanings
- you know (a fact or person)
- she knows
- you know (discourse marker)
Usage
"Ta3ref" is the imperfect of the verb "3raf". It corresponds to the second person singular, masculine and feminine, and to the third person feminine. It covers both "to know" and "to be acquainted with": "ta3ref win yaskon ?", "ta3ref Sami ?". At the start of a sentence, "ta3ref" also serves as a conversational marker, like "you know" in English. In the negative, one says "ma ta3refch". With "kifech", it expresses ability: "ta3ref kifech tsou9 ?", "can you drive?".
Example
تعرف وين الدار متاعو؟
ta3ref win ed-dar mte3ou?
“Do you know where his house is?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ta3ref” but also “ta3rif”, “t3ref” and “ta3rf”. 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.