rbe3 الربع
Moroccan Darija · numeral
“rbe3” (الربع) is a numeral in Moroccan Darija meaning quarter, one-fourth.
Meanings
- quarter, one-fourth
- quarter of an hour
Usage
The word means a quarter of something: rbe3 dyal lkhobza, "a quarter of a loaf". The pronunciation varies: you hear rbe3, and also robo3 or rob3 depending on the region and the speaker. For telling the time, one says ttlata w rbe3, "quarter past three", and rb3a ghir rbe3, "a quarter to four". On its own, the word can mean "a quarter of an hour". Do not confuse it with rb3a, "four". "A third" is tult, and "half" is nnoss.
Example
نتلاقاو مع التلاتة و الربع
ntla9aw m3a ttlata w rrbe3
“We'll meet around quarter past three.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “rbe3” but also “rrobo3”, “robo3”, “rob3” and “rrobou3”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.