isti9bel استقبال
Tunisian Derja · noun
“isti9bel” (استقبال) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning reception, front desk.
Meanings
- reception, front desk
- welcome given to someone
Usage
Isti9bāl first refers to the reception desk of a hotel, clinic or administrative office: "is2el fel isti9bāl", "ask at reception". On the phone, people may answer by simply saying "isti9bāl". The word alternates with the French "réception", which is widely used in hotels. It also means the welcome given to someone: "3malūlou isti9bāl kbir", "they gave him a big welcome". In this second sense, it belongs to a more formal register, close to that of the press.
Example
خلّي المفتاح في الاستقبال.
khalli lmfte7 fel isti9bel.
“Leave the key at reception.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “isti9bel” but also “esti9bel”, “isti9bal”, “istiqbal” and “esteqbal”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.