tfou تف
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“tfou” (تف) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning spit of contempt, ugh.
Meanings
- spit of contempt, ugh
- to spit (on someone, something)
Usage
Onomatopoeia of spitting. It is used to show disgust or strong contempt toward a person, a behavior or a situation. It is said alone ("tfou!") or followed by "3la": "tfou 3lik" (I spit on you), "tfou 3la hal zmen". It can also serve as a verb in the imperative: "tfou 3la gabri" (spit on my grave). It is a colloquial word, offensive when aimed directly at someone: it is equivalent to an insulting gesture without being vulgar in itself. Not to be confused with a standard Arabic spelling "تفي" (to fulfil, to settle), found in administrative texts.
Example
تف! شنوة هالريحة؟
tfou! chnowa hal ri7a?
“Ugh! What's that smell?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tfou” but also “tfo”, “tff” and “tef”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.