3o9bal عقبال
Tunisian Derja · expression
“3o9bal” (عقبال) is an expression in Tunisian Derja meaning may the same happen to you.
Meanings
- may the same happen to you
- hopefully soon (a happy event)
Usage
3o9bal is a wish said after a congratulation. You wish the listener, or a third person, the same happiness in turn: a wedding, a success or a birth. One says 3o9bal 3andek, 3o9bal lik or 3o9bal lwlidik. Followed by a noun, it expresses a hope: 3o9bal ennja7, "hoping for success". It is used only for happy events, never for a misfortune. It is often answered with Allah ysallmek or amin.
Example
مبروك الزواج، عقبال عندك
mabrouk ezzwej, 3o9bal 3andek
“Congratulations on the wedding, may it be your turn soon!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3o9bal” but also “3ou9bal”, “3o9bel”, “okbal” and “3ogbal”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.