9rib قريب
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“9rib” (قريب) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning near, close.
Meanings
- near, close
- almost, about to
- relative (family)
Usage
9rib means “near” in space: “el 7anout 9rib” (the grocery is very close). It is used with men: “9rib mel dar” (near the house). It agrees in gender: 9riba in the feminine. Followed by a verb in the imperfect, it indicates that an action is imminent: “9rib youssel” (he's almost arrived). “3la 9rib” means “soon”, often in good wishes. As a noun, 9rib means a relative; the plural is 9rayeb. Pitfall: 9rib is not only about distance. It also expresses time and kinship.
Example
الحانوت قريب، نمشيو على ساقينا
el 7anout 9rib, nemchiw 3la sa9ina
“The grocery is very close, we'll go on foot.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9rib” but also “qrib”, “krib” and “9riib”. 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.
Type “9rib” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “near, close”; “soon, almost”: 9rib in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “near, close”; “soon, approaching”: qrib in Algerian.