bsbas بسباس
Moroccan Darija · noun
“bsbas” (بسباس) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning fennel (vegetable).
Meanings
- fennel (vegetable)
Usage
Bsbas refers to fennel, the bulb you buy at the market and cook with. It is found in tajines, often with meat or fish, and in steamed or oven-roasted vegetables. It is also eaten raw in salads. The word is common in all regions and belongs to everyday vocabulary, especially when talking about cooking or shopping. It is generally used as a collective: you say "chi bsbas" for "some fennel". Watch the pronunciation: the vowels are very reduced, hence the spellings bsbas and besbas.
Example
غانبدا بل بسباس, كاياخود لوقت
ghanbda bl bsbas, kayakhod lwe9t
“I'll start with the fennel, it takes time.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bsbas” but also “besbas”, “basbas” and “bisbas”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.