Speak Tounsi

Speak Tounsi Learn real Tunisian Arabic — one word or phrase every day. Not textbook Arabic. Not Modern Standard.

The actual dialect spoken on the streets of Tunis, Sfax, and Sousse — taught by a native speaker.
✅ 1 Short per day
✅ Pronunciation + meaning + context

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | TUNISIAN DERJA⚡ ELECTRICIAN & ELECTRICITY VOCABULARY👷 THE JOBإِلِكْتْرِيسْيَانْ — Elektrīsyān👉 Electri...
26/08/2026

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | TUNISIAN DERJA
⚡ ELECTRICIAN & ELECTRICITY VOCABULARY

👷 THE JOB

إِلِكْتْرِيسْيَانْ — Elektrīsyān
👉 Electrician
لِي لِكْتْرِيسْيَانْ — Le-lektrīsyān
👉 The electrician
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⚡ EVERYDAY ELECTRICITY WORDS

التْرِيسِيتِي — Et-trīsīti
👉 Electricity

🗣️ التْرِيسِيتِي تْقَطْعِتْ / Et-trīsīti t9aṭ3et
👉 The electricity is out.

الضَّوْ — Edh-dhaw
👉 Electricity / power / light

المُنْقَالَةْ — El-mongāla
الْكُونْتَارْ — El-kontār
👉 Electricity meter

اِلْخْيُوطْ — El-5yūṭ / 5yūṭ Edh-dhaw
👉 Electrical wires

مَاسْ — Māss
👉 Electric shock / electrical fault

🗣️ فَمَّا مَاسْ فِي الإِنْتِرْفُونْ
Famma māss fil-interfōn
👉 There’s an electrical fault in the intercom.
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🔧 USEFUL VERBS

صَلَّحْ — Ṣalla7
👉 To repair / fix

🗣️ جَاءْ الإِلِكْتْرِيسْيَانْ يْصَلَّحْ
Jē Le-lektrīsyān yṣalla7
👉 The electrician came to fix it

رَكَّبْ — Rakkeb
👉 To install / fit

🗣️ يْرَكَّبْ فِي الإِنْتِرْفُونْ
Yrakkeb fil-interfōn.
👉 He’s installing the intercom.
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🇹🇳 Useful Tunisian vocabulary for everyday repairs and electrical work.

🇹🇳 TUNISIAN DERJA LESSON : 🔔 HOW DO YOU SAY “INTERCOM” IN TUNISIAN?الإنترفون / L’interphone🇬🇧 Intercom / interphoneIn ev...
26/08/2026

🇹🇳 TUNISIAN DERJA LESSON :
🔔 HOW DO YOU SAY “INTERCOM” IN TUNISIAN?

الإنترفون / L’interphone
🇬🇧 Intercom / interphone

In everyday Tunisian, the French word L’interphone is commonly used.
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❌ “THE INTERCOM DOESN’T WORK”
الإنترفون مَا يِخْدِمْشْ
L’interphone ma ye5demch
🇬🇧 The intercom doesn’t work.
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🔎 LET’S BREAK IT DOWN

يِخْدِمْ — Ye5dem
🇬🇧 It works / It’s working

In Tunisian, ye5dem is commonly used when talking about a device, machine, or object that functions.

🔤 ARABIZI TIP
In Tunisian Arabizi:
5 = خ
The number 5 represents the Arabic letter خ (kha), a sound similar to the “kh” in the English word “Bach.”

So:

خْدِمْ → 5dem
يِخْدِمْ → ye5dem
🇹🇳 ye5dem = it works
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مَا...ش — Ma...ch

This is a basic Tunisian way to make a verb negative:

Ma + verb + ch
Ye5dem → Ma ye5demch
🇬🇧 It works → It doesn’t work
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🔔 ANOTHER EVERYDAY EXAMPLE

النّاقُوزْ مَا يِخْدِمْشْ / En-na9ouz ma ye5demch
🇬🇧 The doorbell doesn’t work.

النّاقُوزْ — En-na9ouz
🇬🇧 Doorbell

Same structure:
Ma + ye5dem + ch
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🧠 REMEMBER

🇹🇳 مَا + VERB + ش
Ma + ye5dem + ch
➡️ Ma ye5demch
🇬🇧 It doesn’t work.

So:

🔔 En-na9ouz ma ye5demch
🇬🇧 The doorbell doesn’t work.
📞 L’interphone ma ye5demch
🇬🇧 The intercom doesn’t work.
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💡 SPEAK TOUNSI TIP

يِخْدِمْ — Ye5dem = It works
مَا يِخْدِمْشْ — Ma ye5demch = It doesn’t work

And remember:

5 = خ = “kh” sound
🇹🇳 ye5dem → ye-kh-dem

Once you know this Arabizi letter, you'll recognize it in many Tunisian words! 🇹🇳
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🇹🇳 Speak Tounsi — Learn Tunisian, the Tunisian way!

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | ONE WORD, MANY MEANINGS🗣️ زَعْمَة — ZA3MAكلمة تونسية صغيرة… أمّا عندها برشا استعمالات! 🇹🇳1️⃣ زَعْمَة؟🇬...
26/08/2026

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | ONE WORD, MANY MEANINGS

🗣️ زَعْمَة — ZA3MA
كلمة تونسية صغيرة… أمّا عندها برشا استعمالات! 🇹🇳

1️⃣ زَعْمَة؟
🇬🇧 I wonder… / Do you think…?
زَعْمَة تْصُبّ المَطَرْ اليُومْ؟
Za3ma tṣobb el-mṭar el-youm?
→ I wonder if it will rain today.
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2️⃣ زَعْمَنْتِي
🇬🇧 As if… / Pretending that…
زَعْمَنْتِي مَا فِيبَالِيشْ.
Za3menti ma fībēlish.
→ I’m pretending I don’t know.
💡 هنا المتكلّم يعرف الحقيقة، أمّا يعمل روحو ما يعرفش.
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3️⃣ زَعْمَة زَعْمَة
🇬🇧 Pretending / supposedly
يَخْدِمْ زَعْمَة زَعْمَة.
Ye5dem za3ma za3ma.
→ He’s supposedly working.😏
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4️⃣ زَعْمَةْ مُتْ
🇬🇧 I almost died!
Za3ma mott!
→ I nearly died! / I almost died!
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🎯 REMEMBER

زَعْمَة تنجم تعني:
🤔 I wonder…
🎭 Pretending…
😏 Supposedly…
😱 I almost…

السياق هو اللي يحدّد المعنى!
🇹🇳 Speak Tounsi — Learn the word, understand the context.

🇹🇳

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | DID YOU KNOW?🌍 إِفْرِيقْيَا تْسَمَّاتْ عْلَى تُونِسْ!Efri9ya tsammet 3la Tounes🇬🇧 Africa was named aft...
25/08/2026

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | DID YOU KNOW?

🌍 إِفْرِيقْيَا تْسَمَّاتْ عْلَى تُونِسْ!
Efri9ya tsammet 3la Tounes
🇬🇧 Africa was named after Tunisia! 🇹🇳
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قبل ما يولي اسم Africa اسم القارّة الكل، كان الاسم مرتبط بالأرض اللي كانت فيها قرطاج، في تونس الحالية.

ومع الوقت، الاسم توسّع من اسم المنطقة إلى اسم القارّة الإفريقية الكل. 🌍

وفي العهد الإسلامي، المنطقة هاذي كانت معروفة باسم إفريقية (Ifriqiya).
يعني:

تُونِسْ 🇹🇳 → إِفْرِيقْيَّة → AFRICA 🌍
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🗣️ SPEAK TOUNSI — MINI LESSON

تْسَمَّاتْ عْلَى
Tsammet 3la
🇬🇧 was named after

إِفْرِيقْيَا تْسَمَّاتْ عْلَى تُونِسْ.
Efri9ya tsammet 3la Tounes.
🇬🇧 Africa was named after Tunisia.
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🔑 كلمات اليوم

تْسَمّى — Tsemma → to be named
إِسْم — Esm → name
قَرْطَاجْ — 9arṭāj → Carthage
إِفْرِيقْيَة — Ifri9ya → Ifriqiya
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🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI
Learn Tounsi. Discover Tunisia. Discover the story behind the words.

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | TUNISIAN EXPRESSION👥 كُلّْهُمْ قَارِينْ عَلَى نَفْسْ المُؤَدِّبْKolhom 9āryīn 3la nafs el-meddeb👉 They...
25/08/2026

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | TUNISIAN EXPRESSION

👥 كُلّْهُمْ قَارِينْ عَلَى نَفْسْ المُؤَدِّبْ
Kolhom 9āryīn 3la nafs el-meddeb

👉 They’re all cut from the same cloth.
👉 They’re all alike.
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💡 Literal meaning:

“They all studied under the same teacher.”

In Tunisian Derja, this expression is used when people have the same behavior, attitude, ideas, or way of doing things — as if they were all taught by the same person.
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🇹🇳 A very Tunisian way to say:
“They’re all the same!”

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | MAWLID AL-NABI ﷺ🌙 مُوْلِدْ مَبْرُوكْ لِكُلّْ مُتَابْعِينْ SPEAK TOUNSI 🤍بمناسبة المولد النبوي الشريف، ...
25/08/2026

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | MAWLID AL-NABI ﷺ

🌙 مُوْلِدْ مَبْرُوكْ لِكُلّْ مُتَابْعِينْ SPEAK TOUNSI 🤍

بمناسبة المولد النبوي الشريف، نتمنّاو ليكم ولعايلاتكم أيّام مباركة، عامرة بالخير والبركة والطمأنينة.

ربي يجعلها مناسبة تذكّرنا بالرحمة، الصدق، التواضع، وحبّ الخير للناس.
🤲 اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ
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🇬🇧 On the occasion of Mawlid al-Nabi ﷺ

A blessed Mawlid to all our SPEAK TOUNSI followers! 🤍
May this blessed occasion bring peace, mercy, and blessings to you and your loved ones.

May the life and legacy of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ remind us of the values of compassion, honesty, humility, wisdom, and kindness toward others.

🤲 May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his family, and all his companions.
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🗣️ SPEAK TOUNSI — Mini Lesson

🌙 مُوْلِدْ مَبْرُوكْ
Mouled mabrouk
🇬🇧 Blessed Mawlid to you!

🤍 مُوْلِدْ مُبَارَكْ عْلِيكُمْ وْعْلَى عَايْلَاتْكُمْ!
Mouled moubārek 3likom w 3la 3āylētkkom!
🇬🇧 Wishing you and your families a blessed Mawlid!

💬 Responses

رَبِّي يْبَارِكْ فِيكْ
Rabbi ybārek fik
🇬🇧 May God bless you.

عْلِينَا وْعَلِيكْ
3lina w 3lik
🇬🇧 Blessings to you too!
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🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | WORD OF THE DAY😤 فَغَّمْ / FAGH-GHEM🇬🇧 To feel suffocated, overwhelmed, fed upفَغَّمْ describes a feel...
25/08/2026

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | WORD OF THE DAY

😤 فَغَّمْ / FAGH-GHEM
🇬🇧 To feel suffocated, overwhelmed, fed up

فَغَّمْ describes a feeling of intense discomfort or suffocation — physically because of heat and humidity, or emotionally because of stress, sadness, frustration or being fed up.
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🌡️ PHYSICAL

النَّاسْ فَغَّمِتْ بِالسّخَانَةْ وزَادْ عْلِيهُمْ قَصَّانْ المَاءْ
En-nēss faghmet bess-5ana, ew zēd 3lihom 9assān el-mē.

🇬🇧 People were suffocating from the heat, and the water shortage made it even worse.
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😩 EMOTIONAL

فَغَّمْتْ مِنْ الرُّوتِينْ.
Faghamt mer-routine.

🇬🇧 I’m fed up with the routine.

فَغَّمْتْ مِنْهُمْ ومِنْ عْمَايِلْهُمْ.
Faghamt menhom w men 3māyelhom.

🇬🇧 I’ve had enough of them and what they do.

النَّاسْ فَغّْمِتْ مِنْ الغْلاَ.
En-nēss faghmet mel-ghlā.

🇬🇧 People are fed up with the high cost of living.
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🗣️ RELATED TOUNSI WORDS

فَدّ / فَدِّيتْ
Fadd / Faddīt
🇬🇧 fed up • bored • had enough

تْغَمّ / تْغَمّيت
Tghamm / Tghammīt
🇬🇧 felt distressed / suffocated

تَخْنَقْ / تْخَنْقِتْ
Ta5na9 / T5ann9et
🇬🇧 felt suffocated / couldn't breathe comfortably

قْلِقْ / قْلْقِتْ
9le9 / 9al9et
🇬🇧 got frustrated • lost patience
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🎯 REMEMBER

فَغَّمْتْ = ضاق صدري / ما عادش نتحمّل
🇬🇧 “I’m suffocating / I’ve had enough.”

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI
One word — many shades of feeling.

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | TUNISIAN CULTURE🧿 الخَطُّوفْ — EL-5ATTOUFA necklace made of childhood memories ❤️_____________________...
23/08/2026

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI | TUNISIAN CULTURE

🧿 الخَطُّوفْ — EL-5ATTOUF
A necklace made of childhood memories ❤️
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الخَطُّوفْ (El-5attouf) is a traditional necklace associated with Matmata, in southern Tunisia.

But this is not an ordinary necklace.
Traditionally, a mother makes it for her daughter shortly before her wedding, using little objects and remnants from her daughter's childhood toys that have been kept over the years.

The bride then takes these memories with her into her new home.
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💛 THE SYMBOLISM

El-5attouf is a link between two stages of life:

👧 Childhood → 💍 Marriage

It represents memories, family, childhood and the emotional bond between a mother and her daughter.
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📍 MATMATA, TUNISIA

The tradition is associated with Matmata, a famous village in southern Tunisia.

Matmata is particularly known for its traditional underground homes, built around large open courtyards dug into the earth.
It is also a region where many local customs and traditions have been passed down through generations.

El-5attouf is one of these traditions.
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🗣️ LEARN IT IN TOUNSI

الخَطُّوفْ
El-5attouf
🇬🇧 Traditional childhood-memory necklace

ذِكْرَيَاتْ
Dhekrèyèt
🇬🇧 Memories

طُفُولَة
Ṭfoula
🇬🇧 Childhood

عَرُوسَة
3rousa
🇬🇧 Bride

عَقْد
3a9d
🇬🇧 Necklace
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💬 A BEAUTIFUL TOUNSI PHRASE

تَاخِذْ مْعَاهَا ذِكْرَيَاتْ طُفُولِتْهَا
Ta5edh m3aha dhekrèyèt ṭoufouletha.
🇬🇧 She carries her childhood memories with her.
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🇹🇳 EL-5ATTOUF

مُوشْ كَانْ عَقْد...
هُوَ ذِكْرَيَاتْ طُفُولَة تِمْشِي مَعَ العَرُوسَة لِدَارْ رَاجِلْهَا.

🇬🇧 It’s not just a necklace...
it carries a bride’s childhood memories into her new home.

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI / TUNISIAN FOOD 🍲 شُرْبَةْ فْرِيكْ / Chorbet Frik🇬🇧 Tunisian Frik Soup__________________________________...
23/08/2026

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI / TUNISIAN FOOD

🍲 شُرْبَةْ فْرِيكْ / Chorbet Frik
🇬🇧 Tunisian Frik Soup
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💬 WHAT IS شُرْبَةْ فْرِيكْ?

شُرْبَةْ — Chorba = Soup
فْرِيكْ — Frik = Green durum wheat, harvested early, roasted and cracked

شُرْبَةْ فْرِيكْ is one of the most traditional Tunisian soups. It is especially popular during Ramadan, but Tunisians enjoy it throughout the year.

It is known for its rich red broth, olive oil, tomato, hrissa and Tunisian spices, with frik giving the soup its characteristic texture and flavor.
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🌾 WHAT IS فْرِيكْ — FRIK?

Frik is young green durum wheat harvested before the grain fully ripens.

The grains are traditionally roasted, dried and cracked, giving them a distinctive slightly smoky taste.

In Tunisia, frik is commonly used to make:
شُرْبَةْ فْرِيكْ
Chorbet Frik
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🌶️ THE TUNISIAN FLAVOR
A traditional Tunisian frik soup often combines:

🍅 طْمَاطِمْ — Tmatem --> Tomato

🫒 زَيْتْ زَيْتُونْ — Zit zitoun --> Olive oil

🌶️ هْرِيسَةْ — Hrissa --> Harissa

🌿 تَابِلْ وَكَرْوِيَةْ — Tabel w karwiya --> Tunisian spice blend

🧄 ثُومْ — Thouм --> Garlic

Together, these give the soup its characteristic deep red color and unmistakably Tunisian flavor.
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🍖🐟 DIFFERENT TYPES

شُرْبَةْ فْرِيكْ بِالْعَلُوشْ
Chorbet Frik bel-3allouch
Frik soup with lamb — a classic choice, particularly for Ramadan and special occasions.

شُرْبَةْ فْرِيكْ بِالْحُوتْ
Chorbet Frik bel-7out
Frik soup with fish, especially associated with Tunisia's coastal cuisine.

شُرْبَةْ فْرِيكْ بِالدْجَاجْ
Chorbet Frik bed-Djaj
Frik soup with chicken, a lighter everyday version.
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🗣️ LEARN THE TUNISIAN WORDS

شُرْبَةْ — Chorba --> Soup
فْرِيكْ — Frik --> Green cracked wheat
عَلُوشْ — 3allouch --> Lamb / Mutton
حُوتْ — 7out --> Fish
دْجَاجْ — Djaj --> Chicken
هْرِيسَةْ — Hrissa --> Harissa
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🇹🇳 WHY IS IT SO TUNISIAN?

For many Tunisians, شُرْبَةْ فْرِيكْ is more than just soup.
It is associated with family meals, Ramadan evenings, traditional cooking and the smell of Tunisian spices filling the kitchen.

شُرْبَةْ فْرِيكْ
Chorbet Frik
A bowl of Tunisian tradition.

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI / TUNISIAN PROVERBشَرَّبْنَاهْ الرَّايِبْ طْمَعْ فِي الزَّرَايْبْSharrebneh er-rāyeb, ṭma3 fez-zrāyeb🇬🇧 ...
23/08/2026

🇹🇳 SPEAK TOUNSI / TUNISIAN PROVERB

شَرَّبْنَاهْ الرَّايِبْ طْمَعْ فِي الزَّرَايْبْ
Sharrebneh er-rāyeb, ṭma3 fez-zrāyeb

🇬🇧 “We gave him the leben, and he wanted the whole barn.”
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💬 LET'S BREAK IT DOWN

🥛 شَرَّبْنَاهْ — Sharrebneh
We gave him to drink / We made him drink

شَرَّبْ — Sharreb → to give someone something to drink
ـنَاهْ — -neh → him
👉 شَرَّبْنَاهْ = We gave him something to drink
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🥛 الرَّايِبْ — Er-Rāyeb
Leben / fermented milk
👉 الرَّايِبْ = fermented milk / leben
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😏 طْمَعْ — Ṭma3
He became greedy • He wanted more
طْمَعْ فِي = to become greedy for / to want more of something
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🐑 الزَّرَايْبْ — Ez-Zrāyeb
Barns • Animal pens
زْرِيبَة — Zrība → a barn / animal pen
زَرَايْبْ — Zrāyeb → barns / animal pens
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🧩 THE PROVERB

شَرَّبْنَاهْ الرَّايِبْ
Sharrebneh er-rāyeb
→ We gave him the leben.

طْمَعْ فِي الزَّرَايْبْ
Ṭma3 fez-zrāyeb
→ He wanted the whole barns.

💡 THE IDEA

Someone is given something small or a simple favor, then starts wanting something much bigger.

Give him the milk, and he'll want the whole barn.

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