7ber حبر
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7ber” (حبر) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning ink.
Meanings
- ink
Usage
7ber means ink, whether from a pen, a printer or a stamp. People speak of 7ber el stylo or of a printer that has no more 7ber, using the verb kmel ("to be finished, used up"). The word is also used in figurative expressions from written Arabic, such as 7ber 3la wra9, "ink on paper", for a law or promise that remains a dead letter. For an ink stain, people say tab3a mta3 7ber. The register is neutral. The Tunisian pronunciation is close to "hber", with no clear vowel after the first consonant.
Example
الستيلو كمل فيه الحبر
e-stylo kmel fih el 7ber
“The pen has run out of ink.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7ber” but also “hbar”, “7bar”, “hber” and “7bir”. 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.