7abs حبس
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7abs” (حبس) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning prison.
Meanings
- prison
- to stop (verb 7bes)
- to prevent, hold back
Usage
As a noun, 7abs means prison. It is often followed by the name of the place: 7abs el Mornaguia. Common expressions are dkhal el 7abs ("to go to prison") and khraj mel 7abs ("to get out of prison"). As a verb, 7bes means "to stop". The imperative 7bes! ("stop!") is very frequent. One also says 7bes el karhba ("stop the car"). The noun (7abs) and the verb (7bes) are distinguished by vocalisation, which Arabic script does not write. The word sjen also exists, but 7abs remains the most common term in everyday speech.
Example
ان شاء الله باش يصير برشا تغربيل ف حبس القيروان ان شاء الله نشوفوا برشا البرّا
nchlh mch ysiir barcha tgharbiil f habs lkerwen nchlh nchoufou barcha lbara
“God willing, there will be a lot of sorting out in Kairouan prison; God willing, we'll see a lot of people outside.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7abs” but also “habs”, “7abes”, “7bes” and “7abss”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “7abs” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “to stop, cease”; “to stop, prevent, hold back”: 7bes in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “to stop, cease”; “to stop, block something”: 7bes in Algerian.