tbe3 تبع
Moroccan Darija · verb
“tbe3” (تبع) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to follow (someone, advice, a rule).
Meanings
- to follow (someone, advice, a rule)
- to pursue, to chase
- to monitor, to keep up with
Usage
Tbe3 is the common verb for "to follow". It is used in the literal sense (walking behind someone, chasing them) as well as figuratively (following advice, a law, a trend, a series). It is directly transitive: "tbe3ni" means "follow me". In the present, you say "kantbe3"; in the imperative, "tbe3". The same word also serves as a noun, teb3: "3endo teb3 dyalek" means he has the same manners as you, he resembles you. Note: to follow a programme, you also say "tabe3", a close and very common form.
Example
خسك تبع نصائح ديالي
khsek tebe3 nasa2i7 dyali
“You must follow my advice.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kantb3 | tb3t | |
| nta (you, m.) | kattb3 | tb3ti | tb3 |
| nti (you, f.) | kattb3i | tb3ti | tb3i |
| howa (he) | kaytb3 | tb3 | |
| hiya (she) | kattb3 | tb3at | |
| 7na (we) | kantb3o | tb3na | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | kattb3o | tb3to | tb3o |
| homa (they) | kaytb3o | tb3o |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tbe3” but also “tba3”, “teb3”, “tb3” and “tbaa”. 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.