tebsi طبسي
Algerian Darja · noun
“tebsi” (طبسي) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning plate.
Meanings
- plate
- plateful, contents of a plate
- serving dish
Usage
Tebsi is the common word for "plate" in much of Algeria. The plural is tbassi. It is used for the object itself ("jib tebsi", bring a plate) as well as for its contents ("tebsi rouz", a plate of rice). Traditionally, the tebsi is also used for sharing: a tebsi of food is sent to neighbors on a feast day or during Ramadan. Pronunciation varies by region, with an emphatic t or not, hence spellings like tabsi or 6absi. The word belongs to the everyday, informal register.
Example
جيبلي طبسي نحط فيه الكسرة
jibli tebsi n7ott fih lkesra
“Bring me a plate to put the flatbread on.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tebsi” but also “tabsi”, “6absi”, “tobsi”, “tebssi” and “etebsi”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find طبسي and الطبسي, all the same word.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 6 is emphatic ta (ط).