intibeh انتباه
Tunisian Derja · noun
“intibeh” (انتباه) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning attention, vigilance.
Meanings
- attention, vigilance
- watch out! (warning)
Usage
Intibeh is of learned origin but is in common use in Tunisian. It is found mostly in fixed expressions: chadd intibehi "it caught my attention", qellet intibeh "inattention". On its own, it serves as a written or announced warning, like English "attention!". In spontaneous speech, to warn someone, one says rod belek or ballek instead. The word is therefore a bit more formal than these expressions. The plural is rare. The corresponding verb, intbah "to pay attention", is used mostly in a formal register.
Example
حاجة غريبة شدت انتباهي
7aja ghriba chaddet intibehi
“Something strange caught my attention.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “intibeh” but also “intibah”, “entibeh” and “entebeh”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.