karhba كرهبة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“karhba” (كرهبة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning car, automobile.
Meanings
- car, automobile
- vehicle (in general)
Usage
Karhba is the everyday word for "car" in Tunisia, in all registers of spoken language. The plural is karhbet. One says karhba jdida (new car), karhba mosta3mla (used), and "3andi karhba" for "I have a car". The word also appears in expressions about upkeep: ghassil el karhba (wash the car), ma9ina mta3 el karhba (the engine). It is feminine: karhba kbira, karhba bidha. In a more formal or written register, sayyara is found, but karhba remains by far the most natural term in speech.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “karhba” but also “karhaba”, “karhbet” and “karhbaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.