biya بي
Tunisian Derja · preposition
“biya” (بي) is a preposition in Tunisian Derja meaning of me, with me (verb complement).
Meanings
- of me, with me (verb complement)
- by me, because of me
- in me, on me
Usage
Biya is the preposition b- followed by the first-person singular suffix. It is heard constantly, always after a verb that takes b-, such as tmaskhar b- (to make fun of), 3ab b- (to play with) or fer7 b- (to rejoice in). For example, yetmaskhar biya (he makes fun of me). The expression 7att biya ez-zmen means "time has brought me down." English often calls for "of me" or "with me" depending on the verb, so translate according to the construction rather than word for word. Do not confuse it with bia, "by her," which is sometimes written the same way in arabizi.
Example
علاش تتمسخر بيّ؟
3lech tetmaskhar biya?
“Why are you making fun of me?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “biya” but also “bia”, “biyya” and “bya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.