drab ضرب
Moroccan Darija · verb
“drab” (ضرب) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to hit, to beat.
Meanings
- to hit, to beat
- to kick
- to do (a turn, an action)
Usage
Drab is the common verb for "to hit": drabni, "he hit me"; in the imperfect, kaydreb, "he hits". The person hit is the direct object, and the instrument is introduced by b-: drabou b l-ḥajra, "he hit him with a stone". The verb appears in many expressions where the idea of hitting disappears: drab dora, "to take a stroll", drab ṭ-ṭamiṣ, "to sift", drabha b na3sa, "to take a nap". These expressions are fixed: it is better to learn them one by one than to translate word for word. Pitfall in writing: without vowels, the spelling can also correspond to the noun derb, "alley, neighbourhood", which is a different word.
Example
ما تضربش خوك!
ma tedrebch khak!
“Don't hit your brother!”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kandrab | drbt | |
| nta (you, m.) | katdrab | drbti | drab |
| nti (you, f.) | katdarbi | drbti | drbi |
| howa (he) | kaydrab | drab | |
| hiya (she) | katdrab | drbat | |
| 7na (we) | kandarbo | drbna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katdarbo | drbto | drbo |
| homa (they) | kaydarbo | drbo |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “drab” but also “dreb”, “drb”, “darb” and “derb”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “drab” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “to hit, beat”; “to put on, play (music)”: dreb in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “to hit, beat”; “to kick”: dhrab in Tunisian.