zer زر
Tunisian Derja · noun
“zer” (زر) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning button (on a device).
Meanings
- button (on a device)
- clothing button
Usage
Zer mainly means a button you press: on a device, remote control, dispenser or screen. It is heard in phrases like "kebset zer", "at the press of a button", meaning something is done or undone very quickly. In everyday speech, many Tunisians say "bouton" or "boutona" instead, borrowed from French, especially for a shirt button. Zer is still understood everywhere and readily appears in a somewhat more formal or written register. The usual plural is "zrar". It should not be confused with the verb "zarr", "to tighten, to squeeze", which sounds similar.
Example
إضغط على الزر الأخضر باش يخدم
odhgot 3la ez-zer el akhdher bech yekhdem
“Press the green button so it works.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zer” but also “zir”, “zerr” and “zirr”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.