khbith خبيث
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“khbith” (خبيث) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning sly, cunning, malicious.
Meanings
- sly, cunning, malicious
- wicked, nasty
- malignant (disease)
Usage
Khbith is used for a person who acts through trickery or calculation, often to harm or to take advantage of a situation: tla3 khbith, "he turned out to be sly". Depending on the tone, the word can also affectionately describe a mischievous child or someone sharp. The feminine is khbitha. In medical language or as a euphemism, mardh khbith means a malignant tumour, or even cancer. Pitfall for an English speaker: "cunning" or "shrewd" can sound like a compliment, whereas khbith is generally pejorative.
Example
رد بالك منو، راهو خبيث.
redd belek minnou, rahou khbith.
“Watch out for him, he's sly.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khbith” but also “5bith”, “5abith” and “khabith”. 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.