9bilika قبيليكا
Tunisian Derja · adverb
“9bilika” (قبيليكا) is an adverb in Tunisian Derja meaning a while ago (recent past).
Meanings
- a while ago (recent past)
- as said earlier
Usage
The adverb 9bilika refers to a moment in the very recent past, generally the same day: "jé 9bilika" (he came a little while ago). It applies only to the past. For a moment in the near future, say "ba3d chwaya" or "tawa" instead. In conversation, "kima 9oltlek 9bilika" or "men 9bilika" is used to go back to what was just said, like "as I was saying". It is a very colloquial and typically Tunisian word. The forms 9bila and 9bayla also exist.
Example
عيطتلك قبيليكا وما جاوبتنيش.
3ayattlek 9bilika w ma jéwebtnich.
“I called you a while ago and you didn't answer me.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9bilika” but also “qbilika” and “kbilika”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.