Tunis International School Of Tunisian Arabic

You are from USA, Britain, Europe on a visit to Tunisia. Profit from your Tunisian stay and learn a New Language: Tunisian Arabic!

T.A lessons are provided one-on-one in friendly and relaxed environments: classrooms in your Tunisian Arabic teacher's house! in Ariana, Tunis, Bizerte.

Teachers are English teachers and translators, native speakers of TA, of course!

Please contact us through: medbtunis@gmail.com
or thru website form at: http://bnb-tunisia.webs.com/

فيروزيات الصباح . منوعات من أجمل ماغنت فيروز

Oral Folktale by Abdelaziz El Aroui in Tunisian Arabic (to practice listening and speaking TA)

El Aroui was an excellent storyteller who told beautiful tales on radio in Tunisia radio in the 60s and 70s. His Tunisian Arabic language was beautiful, and easy to comprehend, agreable to follow.

This tale is 'El Jorh yabra ya Sabra' (the wound can be cured O Sabra), which is in fact a Tunisian proverb? The story was adapted into English and on sale on Amazon:

 http://www.amazon.com/Four-Fantastic-Tales-From-Tunisia/dp/1490452729

Also in a bilingual English/French Edition:

http://www.amazon.com/Sabra-Lion-Malicious-Bilingual-English-French/dp/1493622412/

Four original Tunisian tales selected from the rich oral literature. Sabra and Sultan : The Starry-Eyed Girl And The Lion tells the story of an ambitious, starry-eyed young woman who lives in an isolated village in Medieval Tunisia. She lives a scant life with an unconventional husband, who is himself oppressed by The Council Of The Wise and Nobles! Sabra says 'Malicious Words' to her husband who divorces her. She flees the village mistreatment towards a divorced woman, to the forest, where she meets a lion, who strangely has eyes resembling those of a man. She lives happily with Sultan the lion, a semi-animal/semi-human life. Until one day Sultan intercepts 'Malicious Words' too!

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Tunisian Arabic Words of French Origin!

Some TA vocabulary that is used in everyday life in Tunisia and is thouroughly integrated in Tunisian dialect is originally french ! These are borrowings of  french that have completely integrated TA decades ago. the pronunciation of these words is usually altered from the original. in the list, the TA word, the french word then the english translation:

TA - French original - English

atourail - autorail - railway
banou - bain - bath
barkoun - balcon - balcony
barwita - brouette - wheelbarrow
bisklét  - vélo ou bicyclette  - bicycle
blassa - place - spot
brikiyya - briquet - lighter
chifour - chauffeur - driver
dacourdou - d'accord - ok
fatoura - facture - bill
faillousa - veilleuse - pilot light
fraolou - fraise - strawberry
frigo - frigo - fridge
kartaba - cartable - bag/satchel

kayyés : pour dire route (caillasses) 
kounoulia : pour dire eau de cologne 
mitrou: pour dire metro 
outil : (le “l” n’est pas muet) pour dire hôtel 
raffey : pour dire réveil 
sbadri ou sbèdri : pour dire espadrilles 
talvza : pour dire télévision 
tisèf : (dans la région de Bizerte) pour dire radio (TSF : l’ancienne appellation de radio) 
zoufri : pour dire ouvriers 

Pleasantries / General

Pleasantries / General

Aslemma - Hello

Bislemma - Good bye

Bye Bye - Yes this does actually exist and is said all of the time!

Aye/na'am - Yes

Leh - No

Min fathlik - Please

Shokrun/barrakaloveek/ascent - Thank you

Ilelyacar - See you again

Sbakhir - Good morning

Ala Khir - Good night

Messa el Khir - Good Evening

Shniya ahwalek? - How are you?  

Lebes?  - How are you?  Lebes, winti? - I'm fine and you?

Labes elhamdulillah - I'm fine thanks (thanks to God)

Asia cullock! - Come here and let me tell you something/pay attention and listen

Sahmahni - Excuse me or sorry

Introductions

Shismik? - What is your name

Ismi - My name is........

Tikallem Angleez? - Do you speak English?

Ma nifhimsh - I don't understand

Ma nitkallamsh arbi - I don't speak Arabic

Kaddesh omrek? - How old are you?

Asking for Something

Et - Give

Attini min fathlik - Please may I have

Andixshee? - Do you have?

Leh, mandeesh - No there is/there are none

Attini zeed shwayer ?- Could I have a little more?

Shwire shwire - just a little (for example in answering Do you speak any Arabic?)

Hattashay - Nothing

Tushrub Haja? - Can I get you a drink?

Schnouwa? - What?

Alesh/Aleh? - Why?

Attini zouz miyet gramme buggarah hashay? - Could I have 200g of minced beef?

Food and Drink

De bousa mer - A bottle of water

Hhobs - Bread

Helib - Milk

Athum - Eggs

zibteh - Butter

Buggarah hashay - Minced beef

Aloush - Lamb

Djege - Chicken

Hhooter - Fish

Potartah - Potatoes

Senaria - Carrots

Brigdenna - Oranges

Tafeh - Apples

Roze - Rice

Macarouna - Pasta

Sulk - Spinach

Magnoose - Flat leaf parsley

Taebal - Fresh coriander

Tay - Tea 

Kahwah - Coffee

Kahwah blairshee helib - Coffee without milk

Gahli Barcha - Too expensive

Lesson (1): Some basic vocabulary

Nouns                                                   

the nouns on the left are indefinite. To make the definite noun, we add the
standard definite article [il]. Howerver, for pronunciation and assimilation reasons, the definite prefix varies from noun to noun: it assimilates with the 1st sound of the base noun. for instance, "il" remains unchanged before "ktab" = il.ktab, but changes to "r" before "rajil' --> ir-rajil (a man/ the man).  to "s" beore sukkur (sugar)= is-sukkur. 

ktab = a book (indefinite) / li-ktab (definite)                            Ajectives
                                                                                       
rajil= a man (indefinite) / ir-rajel (definite)                                 kbiir = big/   sghiir= small  
                                                                                               ahmar= red
mra= a woman / li- mra  (definite)                                            asfar= yellow
                                                                                               akhal= black
wlad= a boy   / l-wlad                                                             abyath= white
                                                                                               akhdhar= green
bnaya= a girl   / il-bnaya                                                           azrak= blue
                                                                                               skhuun= hot/ ghaali=expensive
stilo= a pen   / is-stiilu                                                              baarid= cold / bniin= delicious
                                                                                               saiib= difficult/ sahel= easy
tayara= plane   / it-Tayyaara                                                    mizyan= beautiful/ mizyana= beautiful (Feminine)
                                                                                                kriib= near/ baiid= far away
passpor= passport  /il-passpor                                                 ghali= expensive/ rkhiiss= cheap
                     
flouss= money  /li-flouss                                    

kahwa= coffee /el-kahwa

tay= tea / et-tay

sokkor= sugar

swagher (dokhan)= cigarettes

falija= suitcase

mataar= airport

taxi=taxi

car= bus                                              

kattoussa= a cat

kalb= a dog

assfu:r: a bird

karhba: a car

korsi: a chair

tawla: a table

talfza: a TV

bouli:ss: a policeman

mhatta: station

lham: meat

djaaj: chicken

tran= train                              

khobz= bread

mouz= bananas

toffaHa= an apple

ftuur: lunch

aachee: dinner

sirwal: pants

sabbaat: shoes

To learn more, Like this facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/tunisianarabic1

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