jben جبن
Tunisian Derja · noun
“jben” (جبن) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning cheese.
Meanings
- cheese
Usage
Jben is the usual word for cheese, especially locally made fresh or salted cheese. It is used as a collective noun: chwaya jben "a little cheese", with no common plural. For industrial or imported cheeses, you also hear the French fromage, often pronounced the Tunisian way, as well as brand names. Specifics are given with an adjective or complement: jben m'ra7i "processed cheese". The word is neutral and everyday, and is heard mostly at the market, at the grocery store and in cooking.
Example
شري شوية جبن من الحانوت
chri chwaya jben mel 7anout
“Buy a little cheese from the grocery store.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “jben” but also “jbn”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “jben” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “fresh white cheese”; “cheese (in general)”: jben in Moroccan.