charbek شربك
Tunisian Derja · verb
“charbek” (شربك) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to tangle, to entangle.
Meanings
- to tangle, to entangle
- to complicate a matter
- to get someone into trouble
Usage
Charbek, present ycharbek, means to tangle threads or hair. Figuratively, very common, it means to complicate a situation or sow confusion. The reflexive form tcharbek means "to get tangled" or "to get complicated": tcharbket el 7keya, "the matter got complicated". The participle mcharbek applies to a tangled thing or a person caught up in trouble. The phrase ma tcharbekch el oumour, "don't complicate things", is common. The register is colloquial but not at all vulgar.
Example
ما تشربكش الأمور، الحكاية ساهلة
ma tcharbekch el oumour, el 7keya sahla
“Don't complicate things, the matter is simple.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “charbek” but also “chorbek”, “cherbek” and “charbak”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.