ghab غاب
Tunisian Derja · verb
“ghab” (غاب) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to be absent, not come.
Meanings
- to be absent, not come
- to disappear, be gone a long time
- to set (sun)
Usage
Ghab is the usual verb for saying that a person is absent or does not come: "ghab 3al khedma", he missed work. It is also used for someone who disappears for a while: "ghab mdida", he was gone for quite a while. It is also said of the sun setting: "ghabet chams". The usual forms are the present "yghib" and the imperative "ma tghibch", don't be absent. The derived noun is "ghiyab", absence. The complement is built with "3la", not with a direct object.
Example
غاب على الخدمة اليوم
ghab 3al khedma lyoum
“He was absent from work today.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ghab” but also “gheb” and “8ab”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.