thnin اثنين
Tunisian Derja · numeral
“thnin” (اثنين) is a numeral in Tunisian Derja meaning two (when counting).
Meanings
- two (when counting)
- Monday (nhar ethnin)
Usage
Ethnin is used for counting in sequence ("wa7ed, ethnin, thletha") or for dictating a number. To say "two" before a noun, Tunisian uses zouz: "zouz ktob" (two books), not ethnin. The word also names Monday: "nhar ethnin". It appears in expressions like "mech mara mech ethnin" (not once, not twice), to stress repetition. Pronunciation varies: thnin, tnin or ethnin depending on the region.
Example
نهار الاثنين نرجع للخدمة
nhar ethnin narja3 lel khedma
“On Monday, I go back to work.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “thnin” but also “ethnin”, “tnin”, “ithnin”, “etnin” and “thnine”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find اثنين and ثنين, all the same word.