9onbla قنبلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9onbla” (قنبلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning bomb, explosive device.
Meanings
- bomb, explosive device
- bombshell, shock
- stunning woman (informal)
Usage
9onbla first means the explosive device, in conversations about the news, war or terrorism. The usual plural is 9nabel. Figuratively, it refers to news that hits like a bomb, or a situation ready to explode: 9onbla maw9outa, "time bomb". In informal speech among young people, the word also describes a very beautiful woman, as in English. This last use can seem inappropriate depending on the context. The word is shared by standard Arabic and Tounsi, with a local pronunciation.
Example
لقاو قنبلة قدام المحطة
L9aw 9onbla 9eddem el ma7atta
“They found a bomb in front of the station.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9onbla” but also “gonbla” and “kounbla”. 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.