Everyday Expressions in Tunisian Derja

In Tunisia, nobody jumps straight from the formal Arabic of textbooks to street conversation without a bridge: at the café, in the market or among friends, everything is said in Derja, the Tunisian dialect. A handful of simple expressions open doors: a warm hello, a "thank you" that wishes someone good health, a question about the family. In this article you will discover the phrases Tunisians really use every day, all taken from lessons recorded by native teachers. You will also see how these phrases fit together in real exchanges, and which traps to avoid when you are starting out.

Assess your Tunisian Derja level

Cultural context: a language built on relationships

Tunisian Derja is first and foremost a spoken language. It is passed on in the family, in the street and in cafés, and it is written mostly in informal settings: text messages, social media, notes between friends. That is why you will very often see it written in Latin letters, with numbers standing in for sounds that do not exist in English or French. This system, sometimes called "arabizi", is exactly the one used by the phrases in this article.

Here are the most useful correspondences:

• 3 marks a deep, guttural sound, as in 3aslema /ʕæsleːmæ/ (hello).
• 7 marks a breathy, raspy "h", as in hamdullah /7æmdʊlːæ/ (thank God) or 7lou /ħluː/ (beautiful, sweet).
• 9 marks a "q" pronounced at the back of the throat, as in na9ra /naqɾaː/.
• 8 marks a guttural "r" close to the French "r", as in 8odwa /ɣudwa/ (tomorrow).
• 5 is often used for the "kh" sound, like the Spanish jota: you find it in 5obz, 5ouya or 5edma, and it is also written "kh", as in nekhdem /nɛxdɛm/.

Tunisians joke about this themselves. In one of the recorded lessons, a learner sums up the difficulty nicely: Ey, ama 3 w 7 s3ab ! (Yes, but the 3 and the 7 are difficult!). Don't worry: with regular listening, your ear adapts quickly.

Another essential cultural trait is that everyday expressions are full of wishes. People don't simply say "thanks", they wish you good health: ya3tik essaha. They don't just answer "fine", they add hamdullah. They ask about your family before talking business. These formulas are not decorative politeness: they build the bond between people, and a foreigner who uses them is immediately welcomed with a smile.

Finally, spelling varies a lot. Since there is no official written standard for Derja in Latin letters, the same word can be written in several ways. For example, you will see Asslema, Aslema, 3aslema or 3slema for "hello", and labès, labess or labes for "fine". This is not a mistake: it is the reality of written Tunisian.

Essential everyday vocabulary

Here are the words and formulas you will hear most often. Pronunciation is given in phonetic notation, as recorded in the lessons.

A few remarks to help you use this table:

• behi (also written bahi) is the all-purpose word: it means "good", "okay", "fine". You will hear it dozens of times a day.
• 3ayshek and y3aychek come from the same idea: wishing a long life to the person you are talking to. Literally, "may you live". It is a very Tunisian formula, used both to ask for something and to thank someone.
• bess7a is said after a purchase, a meal or a new piece of clothing: you wish the other person to enjoy it in good health.
• aya restarts a conversation or pushes people into action: "come on", "so".

Examples and dialogues: expressions in context

Expressions come alive in an exchange. Here are several dialogues recorded by native teachers, grouped by situation.

Greeting a friend

Between friends, the greeting is always followed by a question about how the other person is doing, and the answer always sends the question back:

Asslema sahbi! chnaw ahwelek, labès ? - Hi my friend! How are you? Labès, hamdoullah! W enti? - Fine, thank God! And you? Hay behi, Fech taamel? - Very well. What are you doing? Bech Nemshi l'souk. Tji maaya? - I'm going to the market. Are you coming with me?

An even more casual version, between buddies:

Aslema 5ouya! Chnaw 7walek? - Hi bro! How are you? El hamdoullah, labess. W enti? - Thank God, fine. And you? Labess. Aya, chnowa 3andek jdid? - Fine. So, what's new? Mafama chey jdid. Bech nemchi, bslema! - Nothing new. I have to go, goodbye! Bslema, ya3tik essaha! - Goodbye, thank you (health)!

Notice Aya, which restarts the discussion, and ya3tik essaha used here to say goodbye: the formula is used to thank someone, but also to take leave warmly.

Asking about the family

In Tunisia, asking after the family is part of ordinary conversation:

Aslema Rania! Chnaw 7walik? - Hi Rania! How are you? Behi, ama ta3bena chwaya. 3andi barcha 5edma. - Fine, but a little tired. Lots of work. Allah y3inek! El 3ayla labess? - May God help you! Is the family well?

Allah y3inek! is the natural answer when someone says they are tired or overwhelmed. You can also open directly with the family: Ahla, chnaw 7wel l3ayla? (Hi, how is the family?).

Talking about what you are doing

Chnawa ta3mel tawa? - What are you doing now? Hani na9ra. W enti? - I'm reading. And you? Menich na3mel f chay. Bech nemchi lel 9ahwa. - I'm not doing anything. I'm going to the café. Behi, hani bech nji m3ak. - Okay, I'll come with you.

Note hani before the verb: it expresses an action in progress ("I am in the middle of"), while bech before a verb announces an intention or the near future ("I am going to").

Introducing yourself

3slema! Ena Hichem. W enti? - Hi! I'm Hichem. And you? 3slema! Ena Claire, min Fransa. W enti, mnin? - Hi! I'm Claire, from France. And you, where are you from? Min Sfax. Ena nekhdem mouhandis. W enti? - From Sfax. I'm an engineer. And you? Ena talba. Ena netaallem tounsi! - I'm a student. I'm learning Tunisian! Mabrouk! sahel tousni , bech tet3allem fissa3. - Congratulations! Tunisian is easy, you will learn fast.

And if someone asks whether you speak the language:

Tahki tounsi? - Do you speak Tunisian? Chwaya. Hani netaallem. - A little. I'm learning. Yaatik Saha ! sahel Tounsi ? - Great! Tunisian is easy.

This little sentence, Chwaya. Hani netaallem., is probably the most rewarding one to memorize: it shows your goodwill and almost always triggers a kind reaction.

A practical case: at the café and at the lablabi stand

Let's put all this into practice with two typical scenes from Tunisian life.

Ordering a coffee

The café is an institution. People spend time there, chat, and the order is usually quick:

3aslema! N7eb wa7da 9ahwa tounsia. - Hello! I'd like a Tunisian coffee. B soker walla morra? - With sugar or bitter? 7ather! 5amsa dinar el kol. - Right away! Five dinars in total. Hak, ya3tik essaha. - Here you go, thank you.

At a friend's home, you are more likely to be offered a drink:

A3tini chwaya mea, brabi. - Give me a little water, please. Hak el mea. T7eb 9ahwa zeda ? - Here is the water. Would you like a coffee too? Ey, 9ahwa tounsia b chwaya soker. - Yes, a Tunisian coffee with a little sugar. W 5obz? 3andna tabouna jdida. - And some bread? We have fresh tabouna.

Two words come back constantly: Hak (here you are, take it), when handing something over, and chwaya (a little), used just as much for sugar as for talking about your language level.

Buying a lablabi

Lablabi, a very popular chickpea soup, is often ordered in small eateries. Here is the full exchange:

Aslema! 3ayshek brabi, a3tini wa7ed lablabi. - Hello! Please, give me a lablabi. Hak, Sa7a! - Here you go, enjoy your health! Ya3tik essaha! B 9adech ? - Thank you! How much? Dinar w noss. Sahha w hana. - One and a half dinars. Health and happiness.

Look at the interplay of wishes: the seller says Sa7a! when serving, the customer replies Ya3tik essaha!, and the seller concludes with Sahha w hana. Three wishes of health are exchanged in four lines: that is the spirit of Tunisian expressions.

Bargaining at the market

At the souk, you don't always pay the first price announced:

Ghali barsha! Thalatha dinar? - That's very expensive! Three dinars? Arba'a dinar, hathi el-ghala bnina barcha! - Four dinars, this fruit is very delicious!

barsha (or barcha) means "a lot" or "very". With Ghali barsha!, you politely open the negotiation.

Recap and common mistakes

Before moving on to practice, here is what to remember:

1. Greeting: 3aslema (and its variants) for "hello", sba7 el kher for "good morning".
2. Asking for news: Chnaw 7walek?, then El 3ayla labess? for the family.
3. Answering: Labès, hamdoullah! W enti? Never leave the question hanging without sending it back.
4. Thanking: ya3tik essaha or y3aychek.
5. Asking politely: add 3ayshek or brabi to your request.
6. Taking leave: bslema or ma3a slema.
7. Reacting: mabrouk to congratulate, Allah y3inek! to encourage, inshallah for a future plan.

Mistakes to avoid

Forgetting to send the question back. Answering only labes without adding W enti? sounds curt. Returning the question is a politeness reflex.

Mixing up the two uses of "health". Sa7a! or bess7a are said to someone who receives something (a dish, a purchase). ya3tik essaha is said to someone who gives you something or does you a favor. The seller says the first, the customer answers with the second.

Worrying about spelling. Don't get stuck on Aslema versus 3aslema, or labès versus labess: all these forms are in use. Focus on pronunciation.

Ignoring masculine and feminine. Some adjectives change with gender: Far7an (happy) becomes far7ana in the feminine, and 7lou (beautiful) becomes 7louwa (beautiful, for a woman or a feminine noun). In the same way, Hichem says Ena nekhdem mouhandis while Claire introduces herself with Ena talba.

Neglecting the arabizi numbers. Reading 3 or 7 as plain digits, or ignoring them, completely changes the word. Take the time to listen to how a native speaker pronounces them.

Going further

Everyday expressions are learned mostly by ear. Reading ya3tik essaha is not enough: you need to hear the melody of the sentence, the sound of the 3, the rhythm of a negotiation at the market. That is why the Tunisian Derja courses on Targumi rely on audio recorded by native teachers: every sentence in this article comes from those lessons.

A few tips to make progress:

• Repeat the dialogues out loud, playing both roles. The short exchanges at the café or the lablabi stand are perfect for getting started.
• Learn formulas in pairs: question and answer, request and thanks. Chnaw 7walek? calls for Labès, hamdoullah! W enti?, and Hak calls for ya3tik essaha.
• Build your basic vocabulary with useful words such as tawa (now), 8odwa (tomorrow), jdid (new), Lazem (must, it is necessary) or Najjem (to be able to).
• Dare to use the magic sentence: Chwaya. Hani netaallem. It will earn you patience and encouragement.

If you don't know where to start, take the level test offered above: it will point you to the lessons that suit your profile.

Conclusion

Everyday expressions in Tunisian Derja are few but extremely present: a 3aslema to greet, a labès, hamdoullah to answer, a ya3tik essaha to thank, and you can already hold a small conversation at the café or the market. What matters is the spirit of these formulas: you wish good health, you ask about the family, you always send the question back. Master these reflexes, listen to native voices, and Tunisians will probably tell you themselves: Mabrouk! You are on the right track. Bslema!

• Tunisian Derja vocabulary
• Test your Tunisian Derja level
• Tunisian Derja cultural resources