8ebel هابل
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“8ebel” (هابل) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning crazy, out of one's mind.
Meanings
- crazy, out of one's mind
- crazy about someone (hebel 3lih)
Usage
Hebel is a very common adjective in Tunisian. It describes a person who has lost their mind, behaves strangely, or is beside themselves. With 3la, as in "hebel 3lih" or "hebla 3lih", it means to be crazy about someone, madly in love with them, or passionate about them. The feminine is hebla and the plural hebline. The register is informal. Depending on the tone, the word can stay affectionate or become insulting. Mahboul is also used, with the same meaning. The corresponding verb is hbel, "to go crazy".
Example
هي هابلة عليه، ما تحكي كان عليه.
hiya hebla 3lih, ma te7ki ken 3lih.
“She's crazy about him, she only talks about him.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “8ebel” but also “hebel”, “habel”, “8abel” and “hbel”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.