khab خاب
Tunisian Derja · verb
“khab” (خاب) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to go bad, get worse.
Meanings
- to go bad, get worse
- to fail, be disappointed
- to become ugly
Usage
Khab is the verb corresponding to the very common adjective khayeb, "bad, ugly". It is used for a situation, the weather, a dish, or a person that deteriorates: khabet el denya, "things went badly". In the expression khab dhanni, "I was disappointed", it keeps the classical sense of "to fail, disappoint", more formal. For an English speaker, don't confuse it with khaf, "to be afraid", which sounds similar. The present is yekhib. The negative form ma khabech, "it didn't go bad", is frequent.
Example
الطقس خاب اليوم.
e9a9s khab el youm.
“The weather turned bad today.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khab” but also “5ab”, “khéb” and “khaab”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.