jben جبان
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“jben” (جبان) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning cowardly, lacking courage.
Meanings
- cowardly, lacking courage
- fearful, timid
Usage
Jbèn describes someone who lacks courage or who runs away from responsibilities. It is used as an adjective ("rajel jbèn") or as a noun ("inti jbèn"). The feminine is jbéna and the plural jobna, the latter rather formal. It is a blunt reproach, often thrown around in arguments or about a football team that plays defensively. It is not vulgar for all that. For simple fear, people say ykhaf or khawwéf, "fearful", instead, which is less judgmental. It is pronounced jbèn, with the first vowel almost silent.
Example
ما تكونش جبان، احكي معاه.
ma tkounech jben, a7ki m3ah.
“Don't be a coward, talk to him.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “jben” but also “jbene”, “jeben”, “jbèn” and “jaben”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.