tebsi تبسي
Algerian Darja · noun
“tebsi” (تبسي) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning serving tray.
Meanings
- serving tray
- large deep dish
- from Tébessa
Usage
Tebsi refers to the tray, often metal, on which tea, coffee or cakes are served. It also refers to the large dish in which a meal is presented. The plural is tbassi. It is heard in phrases such as "tebsi ta3 l'9ahwa" ("coffee tray") or "tebsi ta3 l'7lawat" ("tray of cakes"). As an adjective, tebsi also means "from Tébessa". Context resolves the ambiguity. The spelling "tipsy", found online, is misleading: it has nothing to do with the English word.
Example
جيب التبسي تاع القهوة
jib et-tebsi ta3 el 9ahwa
“Bring the coffee tray.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tebsi” but also “tabsi”, “tbsi” and “tipsy”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.