sahbi صاحبي
Algerian Darja · noun
“sahbi” (صاحبي) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning my friend, my buddy.
Meanings
- my friend, my buddy
- buddy (casual address)
- friend, mate
Usage
Sahbi is formed from sahb (friend, companion) and the possessive suffix -i (my). It is used to talk about a friend ("sahbi mcha l França", "my friend went to France"), but also, very often, to address someone in a friendly way, even a stranger, like "buddy" or "my brother". The register is familiar and warm. The feminine is sahebti (my friend), which can also mean a girlfriend depending on context. The plural is shabi (my friends). It should not be confused with khouya (my brother), which is more affectionate and is sometimes contrasted with sahbi to mark a closer bond.
Example
صاحبي راهو يستناني قدام الدار.
sahbi rahou yestenani qoddam dar.
“My friend is waiting for me in front of the house.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sahbi” but also “sa7bi”, “sahebi”, “s7abi”, “sahbii” and “sahab”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find صاحبي and صاحب, all the same word.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “sahbi” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “my friend, my buddy”; “mate, buddy (form of address)”: sa7bi in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “my friend, my mate”; “my boyfriend”: sa7bi in Tunisian.