derreb درّب
Moroccan Darija · verb
“derreb” (درّب) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to train, coach (athletes, team).
Meanings
- to train, coach (athletes, team)
- to train, drill someone
Usage
Derreb, with its middle consonant doubled, means to train or coach someone, especially in sport: the coach is called mderreb, and the reflexive form tderreb means to train oneself. You say derreb l-l3ab (train the players) or derreb rasek (train yourself). Watch out for homographs in Latin script. Derb, without the doubling, is a noun meaning alley or neighbourhood. Dreb (ضرب) means to hit and appears in expressions such as dreb dowra (take a stroll) or dreb l-7sab (take into account). These words have no connection with derreb.
Example
المدرب كيدرّب اللعابة كل نهار
l-mderreb kayderreb l-l3aba kol nhar
“The coach trains the players every day.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanderreb | derrebt | |
| nta (you, m.) | katderreb | derrebti | derreb |
| nti (you, f.) | katderrbi | derrebti | derrbi |
| howa (he) | kayderreb | derreb | |
| hiya (she) | katderreb | derrbat | |
| 7na (we) | kanderrbo | derrbna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katderrbo | derrebto | derrbo |
| homa (they) | kayderrbo | derrbo |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “derreb” but also “drreb”, “darreb”, “dérreb”, “drb” and “derb”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “derreb” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “to train (a team, an athlete)”; “to train, drill someone”: darreb in Tunisian.