7bal حبل
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7bal” (حبل) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning rope.
Meanings
- rope
- line, cord (clothesline, etc.)
Usage
7bal is the usual word for a rope or cord. It appears in everyday expressions: "7bal el ghsil" (the clothesline), "7bal mechn9a" (the hangman's rope). The plural is 7bel. It is also used figuratively, for example for a lifeline or a way out: "7bal en-naja" (the lifeline). It is pronounced with a single short vowel after the initial 7, without the helping vowel of Standard Arabic (7abl). The word is neutral and used in all registers.
Example
علّق الحوايج على الحبل
3alla9 el 7wayej 3al 7bal
“Hang the clothes on the line.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7bal” but also “hbal”, “7abl” and “7bel”. 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.