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LANCER LEARNING COMMUNITIES, LLC Paul R. Beeman (“Am Paul”) & Khaled Arres

How to say “nothing” in Tunisian Arabic (Tounsi): shay’

Part 3: Descriptions (Šifet) • 38. Quantity (Kemméa) • Book Page 182

Quick Answer & Pronunciation Breakdown

In Tunisian Arabic (Tounsi / Derja), the word for “nothing” is shay’.

Arabizi / Chat Spellings: shay’, shay

How to Pronounce Each Sound

  • sh (ش) — 'sh' sound as in 'sharp' or 'fish'. Example: shÄ’ar
  • ’ (ء / ع) — Glottal stop or brief vocal pause, like the catch in the middle of 'uh-oh'. Example: me’aza

Found in Tounsi in Black & White (38. Quantity (Kemméa), p. 182) by Paul R. Beeman (“Am Paul”) & Khaled Arres.

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More Words From 38. Quantity (Kemméa)

Explore related Tunisian Derja vocabulary

shawaya a few shawaya mn a little bit / a bunch of / a couple of ay waHda any one kol waHda each one

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Tounsi in Black & White — Phonetic Guide (pp. 9–12)

Tounsi in Black & White uses a clear Latin phonetic system so English and French speakers can pronounce Tunisian Arabic naturally. Read the full Phonetic & Arabizi Reference →

Symbol English Sound French Sound Arabic Book Example
a wall, car, saw à, Paris, appeler ا , ع Avril
Ä Deep elongated “a” as in awe “à” de profondeur de la bouche ع sbÄ
e elephant, end blesser, tenir ء ekhel
é cake, bait, bale lait, saler, thé ي / ا éna
o go, no, so dos, eau, moto و Octobr
u glue, new, two tu, rue, mouton و bu
i wing, sing, read si, ni, lit يْ fil
w wait, win, owe oui, toilette وْ warqa
’ Glottal stop (Uh-oh) Coup de glotte (début de “aimer”) ء / ع me’aza
b bike, beat, bat bague, beau ب ba’id
d do, duck, did dire, doux د dabbuza
dh this, the, then Pointe de la langue à l’arrière des dents ذ dhaw
f fun, far fille, fort ف faqqus
g go, get gâteau, gomme ق garaj
gh Guttural “r” sound rue, rouge غ (ghayn) ghadwa
h hat, hit, hope Un court souffle léger ه mehbul
H Stronger, breathier “h” Un court souffle fort ح Halib
k kite, cat, black cadeau, clé ك kabbut
kh Like “loch” or “Bach” Son de gargouillement doux خ khamsa
q Uvular stop (deep “k”) quatre (plus profond) ق Qadesh
r Rolled “r” (Scottish “road”) Un “r” roulé ر ras
s sit, sand, miss soupe, sac س saba’a lef
S Hard, exaggerated “S” sacrifice, sombre ص ÄSfour
sh sharp, mash, fish chou, chat ش shÄ’ar
t kit, sit, type table, tout ت taHt
T Emphasized “t” as in Tap N/A (emphatique) ط yfTor
th thin, thank, thick Souffle en déplaçant la langue des dents ث thmenin
v van, vine, have voiture, vin ف / ڤ valiz
y yes, yellow yeux, yaourt ي yaba’ath
z zoo, zip, has zèbre, zéro ز zbiyb