Numbers as letters in Tunisian Arabic

Most Tunisian Arabic speakers write this dialect of Arabic (also known as Tounsi) in two scripts: The Arabic script and the Latin script. Not exclusively in either case, but it’s been noted that younger generations have a tendency to write Tounsi using the Latin script and older generations write Tounsi using the Arabic script.

Why numbers as letters

Certain Arabic pronunciations simply don’t exist as letters in the Latin script in languages like English and French. And so conventionally over the last couple decades, most, but not all Tunisian Arabic speakers, when writing Tounsi using the Latin script, will use numbers that represent certain Arabic letters. And with this too comes pronunciations that don’t exist in languages that use the Latin script such as English or French.

Here are three examples:

Sbe7 lkhir — Which means “Good morning”

3asslema — Which means “Hello”

D9i9a — Which means “Minute”

As you can see the numbers 7, 3, & 9 appear in the Tunisian Arabic words / terms above.

This article will explain the numbers that speakers of Tunisian Arabic use and understand as letters, when they are used, and how they are pronounced.

It should be stressed too that not all Tunisian Arabic speakers, when writing using the Latin script, use numbers. Some certainly do not use any numbers when writing words in Tounsi. But it has been observed that the majority of Tunisian Arabic speakers, when writing Tunisian Arabic using the Latin script, use at least some numbers as letters in their words.

(As an aside, if you wish to know all the popular ways that people say Hello in Tunisian Arabic, refer to the IBL article: How to say Hello in Tunisian Arabic)

The numbers that exist as letters

Below are the numbers that have been observed frequently enough in Tunisian Arabic that we consider them as also letters in Tunisian Arabic.

Two important notes to make at this point:

• The numbers 2 & 4 are not used by the vast majority of Tunisian Arabic speakers but occur commonly enough, and understood by so many speakers, that we believed the two numbers/letters should be listed.
• Some Tunisian Arabic speakers only practice writing 3, 7 & 9 and use the combination of two letters to represent the other conventional Arabic letters & pronunciations. The reason is that these three letters (examined more below) have no reasonable singular letter in the Latin script.

One more point about this section: You’ll see a “Popularity rating” associated to each number below. (Highly popular, Reasonably popular, Uncommon) This should give you a sense as to the overall usage of these numbers as letters amongst Tunisian Arabic speakers as the time of the writing of this article.

2 – Hamza / همزة

In the Latin script, this letter can also be represented by “e” or “a”.

In the Arabic script, depending on where this letter is in a word, it’s represented as: by “a”, “e” / ء، ؤ، ئ، أ، إ

• أ
• إ
• ئ
• ؤ

Below IBL contributor Nada A. pronounces Hamza in its three possible variations:

Two examples:

• Mou2alef / مؤلف which means “Author”
• Sou2el / سؤال  which means “Question“

Nada A. pronouns Mou2alef:

IBL contributor, Roua G., speaks Sou2el:

Popularity rating: Uncommon

3 – 3ayn / عين

In the Latin script, no letters represent this number.

This letter in the Arabic script is:

•  ع

Nada A. pronounces 3ayn in its three variations:

Two examples:

• 3aychek / عيشك means “Thanks” (or “Please”)
• 3asir / عصير means “Juice”

IBL contributor, Amine B. pronounces 3aychek:

Nada A. speaks 3asir:

Popularity rating: Very popular

4 – Dhel / ذال

In the Latin script, this number is more commonly represented with “dh” or “th”. Note that when using “th” a conflict may occur with: Letters that have a “t” and “d” together and also the ث letter which phonetically has a “th” sound. (The latter is similar to the “th” in English which is used in words like “the”, “three”, etc.”

This letter in the Arabic script is:

•  ذ 

Nada A. pronounces Dhel in its three variations:

Two examples:

• (m) He4a /هذا (f) He4i /هذي means “It is…“
• 4aw / ضو means “Light” (the noun, as in the object that illuminates or luminosity)

Although the above examples do occur, we want to stress that the number 4 is currently very uncommon amongst Tunisian Arabic speakers. The spellings above are more commonly written at Hedha, Hedhi & Dhaw. (“Dh” instead of the 4)

Nada A. speaks He4a & He4i:

Nada speaks 4aw:

Popularity rating: Uncommon

5 – Kha2 / خاء

In the Latin script, this number can also be written as “kh”.

In the Arabic script it is written as:

•  خ

Nada A. pronounces Kha2 in its three variations:

Two examples:

• 5ali / خالي which means “My uncle“
• 5ou5a / خوخة  which means “Peach” (as in the fruit)
  

Nada A. speaks 5ali:

Nada A. speaks 5ou5a:

Popularity rating: Popular

7 – 7a2 / حاء

In the Latin script, this number can also be written as “h”.

Although note that the Arabic letter هـ is also written in the Latin script as “h”. (a different letter and pronunciation) This is likely a major reason why the number 7 is so commonly used amongst Tunisian Arabic speakers as a letter.

In the Arabic script, it is written as:

•  ح

Nada A. pronounces 7a2 in its three variations:

Two examples:

• 7anout / حانوت which means “Store“
• (m) 7low / حلو (f) 7lowa / حلوّة which means “Sweet”
  

IBL contributor, Aroua F., pronounces 7anout:

Nada A. speaks 7low & 7lowa:

Popularity rating: Very popular

8 – Ghayn / غين

Alternatively 8 is written as “gh”. Although 8 is used commonly enough by Tunisian Arabic speakers, “gh” is much more commonly used to represent this sound.

In the Arabic script, it is written as:

•  غ

Nada A. pronounces Ghayn in its three variations:

Two examples:

• Ghodwa / غدوة which means “tomorrow“
• Ghassela / غسّالة which means “washing machine“

Nada A. speaks Ghodwa:

Nada A. speaks Ghassela:

Popularity rating: Popular

9 – 9af / قاف

In the Latin script, some (but the minority of people) write this number with a “k”. The Arabic letter ك is also written as a k, so using the k for ق poses the risk of causing confusion. It has been cited that some (again, the minority of Tunisian Arabic speakers) write 9alb / قلب, which means heart, as kalb. However, the word dog (in the masculine form) is conventionally written as kalb / كلب. (Note: the different spelling using the Arabic script) So using the letter “k” to represent the ق may cause confusion at times. This is a good example to demonstrate why the invention of numbers as letters came into existence in the first place.

In the Arabic script it is written as:

•  ق

Nada A. pronounces 9af in its three variations:

Two examples:

• (m) 9rib / قريب (f) 9riba / قريبة which means “Close” (adjective)
• D9i9a / دقيقة  which means “Minute“

Linda A. pronounces 9rib & 9riba:

Amine B. speaks D9i9a:

Popularity rating: Very popular

In closing

By studying the material in this article you now know for certain why many Tunisian Arabic speakers use numbers as letters in Tunisian Arabic. And as you’re writing Tunisian Arabic you can determine your own level of use: Not using numbers like the minority of users, using many numbers as letters as listed above, and like some, using only the numbers that reasonably don’t have an alternative version using the Latin script. (the 3, 7, & 9)

Are you looking to study Tunisian Arabic more? Learning how nouns operate in Tunisian Arabic may be a good area for you to study next. Here is the IBL article on this topic: How nouns function in Tunisian Arabic.

Enjoy learning Tunisian Arabic.

And as always, we wish you a marvellous journey!