chbe7 شبح
Moroccan Darija · noun
“chbe7” (شبح) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning ghost, specter.
Meanings
- ghost, specter
- silhouette, vague shape
Usage
Chbe7, or chaba7 in a pronunciation closer to Standard Arabic, means a ghost or an apparition. For supernatural beings, everyday speech more readily uses jenn or 3efrit. The word is also used for a shape that is hard to make out, especially in the dark: "chefthom ghir chbe7" ("I only saw a silhouette"). Figuratively, it can describe a very thin person or someone who is never seen. The plural is achba7.
Example
شفت شي شبح فالظلام
cheft chi chbe7 f dlam
“I saw a figure in the dark.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chbe7” but also “chaba7”, “chabah”, “chbah” and “shaba7”. 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.