zra3 زرع
Tunisian Derja · verb
“zra3” (زرع) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to plant, to sow.
Meanings
- to plant, to sow
- to sow, to spread (figurative)
Usage
Zra3 (imperfective yazra3) means to plant or sow, in the literal sense: zra3 9am7 (he sowed wheat), zra3 chajra (he planted a tree). Figuratively, it is used as in English: zra3 el fitna (sow discord), zra3 el khir (sow good). The proverb elli yazra3 ya7ssed reminds us that you reap what you sow. The noun zar3 refers to seeds or standing grain. Be careful not to confuse it with zra3 (arm), which is pronounced similarly.
Example
بابا زرع زيتون في الجنان.
baba zra3 zitoun fil jnen.
“My father planted olive trees in the orchard.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zra3” but also “zraa”, “zara3” and “zre3”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.