nbe7 نبح
Moroccan Darija · verb
“nbe7” (نبح) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to bark.
Meanings
- to bark
- to yell at someone (informal)
Usage
Nbe7 means to bark. It is said first of all of a dog: lkelb kaynbe7 (the dog barks). The person targeted is introduced by 3la: nbe7 3lih (he barked at him). The present is kaynbe7; the past is nbe7. In an informal, pejorative register, the verb can also describe someone who shouts or speaks aggressively, like a dog. This use is insulting, so avoid it when talking about a person. The related noun, nbi7, means a bark.
Example
لكلب نبح على مول البرد
lkelb nbe7 3la moul lbarid
“The dog barked at the mailman.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kannb7 | nb7t | |
| nta (you, m.) | katnb7 | nb7ti | nb7 |
| nti (you, f.) | katnb7i | nb7ti | nb7i |
| howa (he) | kaynb7 | nb7 | |
| hiya (she) | katnb7 | nb7at | |
| 7na (we) | kannb7o | nb7na | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katnb7o | nb7to | nb7o |
| homa (they) | kaynb7o | nb7o |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “nbe7” but also “nba7”, “nb7” and “nbeh”. 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.