dbet ضبط
Moroccan Darija · verb
“dbet” (ضبط) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to set, to adjust precisely.
Meanings
- to set, to adjust precisely
- to master, to control
- to catch, to catch in the act
Usage
Ḍbeṭ first means to adjust precisely: a watch, a machine, accounts. It also means to master something, such as a language or a trade, or to control oneself: ḍbeṭ rasek, "get a grip on yourself". Finally, it means to catch or surprise someone, notably when the police arrest a person in the act. The noun ḍebṭ is used in the phrase b ḍ-ḍebṭ, "exactly, precisely". The participle meḍbuṭ means "exact, well adjusted, spot on". The register is everyday, with a slightly more refined nuance than zeyyer for "to tighten, to adjust".
Example
ضبط ليا الساعة على الوقت.
DbeT lia sa3a 3la lwe9t.
“Set the watch to the right time for me.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanDbeT | DbeTt | |
| nta (you, m.) | katDbeT | DbeTti | DbeT |
| nti (you, f.) | katDbTi | DbeTti | DbTi |
| howa (he) | kayDbeT | DbeT | |
| hiya (she) | katDbeT | DbTat | |
| 7na (we) | kanDbTo | DbTna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katDbTo | DbTto | DbTo |
| homa (they) | kayDbTo | DbTo |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dbet” but also “dbt”, “dabt” and “dhbet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “dbet” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “to adjust, to set, to fine-tune”; “to master, to control (oneself)”: dhbat in Tunisian.