loubia لوبيا
Algerian Darja · noun
“loubia” (لوبيا) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning white beans (dried).
Meanings
- white beans (dried)
- bean stew
Usage
Loubia refers to dried beans, especially white ones. The word also names the very popular dish of beans simmered in a red sauce with tomato, garlic and cumin. This dish is often served in winter, or as a street-food snack with bread. One says tayyeb loubia, "to cook beans". The word is collective: it is not put in the plural. Green beans often go by another name, such as loubia khadra or haricot. Loubia appears in jokes and colloquial expressions. Its register is neutral and everyday.
Example
اليوم طيبنا لوبيا
lyoum tiyebna loubia
“Today we cooked beans.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “loubia” but also “loubya”, “lobia” and “loubiya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “loubia” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “white beans (dried)”; “bean stew”: loubia in Moroccan.