ste9bel ستقبل
Moroccan Darija · verb
“ste9bel” (ستقبل) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to receive, host (guests).
Meanings
- to receive, host (guests)
- to welcome officially, receive on a visit
Usage
Ste9bel means to receive someone at home or to welcome them on arrival. The typical use concerns guests: "ste9bel d-dyaf" (to receive guests). It is also used for an event or a delegation: "l-mdina ste9blat l-mhrajan" (the city hosted the festival). In the media, it is used for official receptions. The register is neutral to formal. In casual conversation, people also say "dkhel 3endi dyaf" or "3ndi dyaf." The corresponding noun is sti9bal, "welcome, reception."
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanst9bel | st9belt | |
| nta (you, m.) | katst9bel | st9belti | st9bel |
| nti (you, f.) | katst9bli | st9belti | st9bli |
| howa (he) | kayst9bel | st9bel | |
| hiya (she) | katst9bel | st9blat | |
| 7na (we) | kanst9blo | st9blna | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katst9blo | st9belto | st9blo |
| homa (they) | kayst9blo | st9blo |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ste9bel” but also “st9bel”, “sta9bel”, “steqbel” and “sta9bal”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.