tonn طن
Tunisian Derja · noun
“tonn” (طن) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning ton (a thousand kilos).
Meanings
- ton (a thousand kilos)
- huge amount
Usage
Tonn is the unit of weight, a thousand kilos. It is used for harvests, goods or seizures reported in the newspapers, for example "tonn batata", a ton of potatoes. The plural is atnan, but "tonnet" is often used after a number. As in French, it can be used colloquially and with exaggeration to mean "an enormous quantity", but this use is less frequent than the literal meaning. In online writing you also find the French forms "tonne" or "ton".
Example
الفلاح جاب طن بطاطا للسوق.
el fella7 jeb tonn batata lel souk.
“The farmer brought a ton of potatoes to the market.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tonn” but also “ton”, “tan” and “tonne”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.