bhim بهيم
Tunisian Derja · noun
“bhim” (بهيم) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning donkey.
Meanings
- donkey
- idiot, fool (insult)
Usage
Common word for the donkey, the pack animal of the countryside; the plural is bhayem. As in English, it is very often used as an insult for someone stupid or obtuse: ya bhim, "you donkey". This use is colloquial and hurtful; reserve it for close friends in a joking tone, or avoid it. The derived word bhéma means stupidity or a blunder. The word can also mean a beast of burden in general. Applied to a person, it is clearly more offensive than a simple "stupid".
Example
الفلاّح ركب على البهيم ومشى للسوق.
el fellah rkeb 3al bhim w mcha lel souk.
“The farmer got on the donkey and left for the market.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bhim” but also “bhayem”, “bhiim”, “bhime” and “bheym”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.