ibra ابرة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“ibra” (ابرة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning sewing needle.
Meanings
- sewing needle
- syringe needle, injection
Usage
Ibra first means the sewing needle. It is used with khit (thread) in the expression ibra w khit, and one says ibra mta3 khiyata to distinguish the sewing needle from another kind. In everyday language, the word is also used for a syringe needle, and sometimes for the injection itself: for example "drabli ibra" (he gave me an injection). The usual plural is ibar. The word is feminine, and is heard in all registers. Note: it does not refer to the hands of a watch.
Example
عندك إبرة و خيط نخيّط بيهم السروال؟
3andek ibra w khit nkhayyet bihom esserwel?
“Do you have a needle and thread so I can sew up the trousers?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ibra” but also “ebra”, “ibre” and “ebre”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “ibra” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “sewing needle”; “injection, shot”: ibra in Moroccan.