7bib حبيب
Moroccan Darija · noun
“7bib” (حبيب) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning friend, close friend.
Meanings
- friend, close friend
- darling, beloved
Usage
The word ḥbib, feminine ḥbiba and plural ḥbab, refers to a close friend or a loved one. It is often paired with ṣdiq: "ḥbib w ṣdiq". It also serves as an affectionate term of address: "a ḥbibi", "ḥbibti". In that case, it can be addressed to a child, a relative or a partner, and it is sometimes slightly ironic or condescending depending on the tone. "L-aḥbab" refers to loved ones and friends in general, notably in invitation formulas. Note the dropped initial vowel: ḥbib and not ḥabib, except in songs or in a formal register.
Example
ماشي ڭاع لي دحك ليك راه حبيب و سديق
machi ga3 li d7ek lik rah 7bib ou sdi9
“Not everyone who laughs with you is a friend and a loved one.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7bib” but also “hbib”, “7abib”, “habib” and “7bibi”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “7bib” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “dear friend, buddy (as address)”; “beloved, lover”: habib in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “beloved, darling”; “dear friend, close one”: habib in Tunisian.