dhebbena ذبانة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dhebbena” (ذبانة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning fly (insect).
Meanings
- fly (insect)
- insignificant or pesky person
Usage
Dhebbena means a fly, a single insect. The collective is dhebben (flies in general): "el dhebben barcha fi sif" (there are lots of flies in summer). The word is also used figuratively and pejoratively for a person considered insignificant or pushy. "Ya dhebbena" is a contemptuous form of address, so avoid it if you don't want to offend. Depending on the region, the pronunciation shifts from dhebbena to debbena, since the dh sound is sometimes pronounced d.
Example
فما ذبانة في الكاس
famma dhebbena fel kes
“There's a fly in the glass.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dhebbena” but also “debbena”, “dhbena” and “dhebbana”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.