tarfa3 ترفع
Tunisian Derja · verb
“tarfa3” (ترفع) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to lift, raise.
Meanings
- to lift, raise
- to remove, take away
Usage
Tarfa3 is the present-tense form "you lift" or "she lifts" of the verb rfa3. The verb is used first of all to lift an object or a part of the body: rfa3 idek, "raise your hand". It also means "to remove, clear away", for example a table or a misfortune, and it is often found in this sense in prayers. The expression yarfa3 lek el-9ab3a, "I tip my hat to you", is modelled on French. It is used in everyday language and in formal language.
Example
تنجم ترفع الصندوق هذا وحدك؟
tnajjem tarfa3 es-sendou9 hedha wa7dek?
“Can you lift this crate by yourself?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tarfa3” but also “terfa3”, “trfa3” and “tarfaa”. 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.