7boub حبوب
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7boub” (حبوب) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning pimples, spots (on skin).
Meanings
- pimples, spots (on skin)
- pills, tablets
- grains, cereals
Usage
7boub is the plural of 7abba, which means "a grain" or "a unit". In everyday conversation, it mainly refers to pimples that appear on the skin, for example in "tal3oulou 7boub fi wejhou" (he got pimples on his face). It also refers to pills one swallows: "9a3ed yechreb fel 7boub" (he is taking pills). The third sense, grains or cereals, belongs more to the agricultural or commercial register. Note: unlike in Standard Arabic, the word does not mean "kind" in Tunisian.
Example
طلعولي حبوب في وجهي
tal3ouli 7boub fi wejhi
“I got pimples on my face.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7boub” but also “hboub”, “7bob” and “7boob”. 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.