lebsa لبسة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“lebsa” (لبسة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning outfit, set of clothes.
Meanings
- outfit, set of clothes
- dress (women's garment)
- way of dressing
Usage
Lebsa refers to what one is wearing, seen as a whole: clothes, sometimes accessories. The word comes from the verb lbes, "to dress, to wear". It is often used to compliment or comment: "lebsa zwina", "lebsa jatek mzyana" (the outfit suits you). It applies to men's and women's outfits alike, even though it is often translated as "dress". One also says lebsa beldiya or lebsa taqlidiya for traditional dress (jellaba, caftan). The usual plural is lebsat. Note: this word does not refer to a single garment; for that, one rather says hwayej (clothes) or the specific name of the garment.
Example
عجباتني لبسة ديالك
3jbatni lebsa dyalk
“I like your outfit.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lebsa” but also “lebssa”, “lbsa” and “labsa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “lebsa” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “outfit, garment”; “way of dressing”: lebsa in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “outfit, set of clothes”; “traditional costume”: lebsa in Tunisian.