dhba3 ضبع
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dhba3” (ضبع) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning hyena (animal).
Meanings
- hyena (animal)
- big hulking guy (colloquial)
Usage
Dhba3 first refers to the animal, the hyena, known in Tunisia through rural tales and stories where it embodies a cunning, voracious beast. In casual conversation, the word also applies to a person, especially to emphasize an imposing build or a rough look. An expression like "dhba3 9addek" then means "a guy your size". Depending on the tone, this figurative sense can be admiring or slightly mocking. The word is pronounced with an emphatic dh. The common plural is dhbou3a. There is no commonly used feminine form for the figurative sense.
Example
قالو شافو ضبع في الجبل البارح في الليل
9alou chafou dhba3 fil jbal lbere7 fil lil
“They say they saw a hyena in the mountain last night.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dhba3” but also “dhab3”, “dba3” and “dhbe3”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.
Type “dhba3” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “hyena”: dbe3 in Moroccan.