ta3bir تعبير
Moroccan Darija · noun
“ta3bir” (تعبير) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning expression, way of saying.
Meanings
- expression, way of saying
- composition (school exercise)
- freedom of expression
Usage
Ta3bir refers to the act of expressing something or the way of saying it. It is used in ma3endich ta3bir, "I have no words", or in ta3bir 3la lfer7a, "the expression of joy". In Moroccan schools, ta3bir is also the name of the essay-writing exercise, often called ta3bir kitabi. In a political context, one speaks of 7orriyat ta3bir, freedom of expression. The plural ta3abir refers to turns of phrase or idioms. Note: for a facial expression, Moroccans rather say lwejh, "the face", or lmalami7, "the features".
Example
ماعنديش تعبير على هاد الشي اللي وقع
ma3endich ta3bir 3la had chi lli w9e3
“I have no words for what happened.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ta3bir” but also “t3bir”, “te3bir” and “taabir”. 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.
Type “ta3bir” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “expression, act of expressing”; “essay (school exercise)”: ta3bir in Tunisian.