trinou ترينو
Tunisian Derja · noun
“trinou” (ترينو) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning train.
Meanings
- train
Usage
Trinou is the everyday word for "train" in Tunisia, whether for SNCFT main lines or commuter trains. It is an adapted loanword, fully integrated into the spoken language. People say rkebt fi trinou ("I took the train") or ask the time of the trinou. The Tunis light rail is called métro, not trinou: Tunisians clearly distinguish the two. Standard Arabic qitar is heard in the news or in writing, rarely in conversation. The most common plural is trinouwet.
Example
وقتاش يخرج الترينو متاع سوسة؟
waqtech yokhrej e-trinou mta3 Sousse?
“What time does the Sousse train leave?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “trinou” but also “train”, “trino”, “treno” and “trinu”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.