la bes لا باس
Tunisian Derja · expression
“la bes” (لا باس) is an expression in Tunisian Derja meaning fine, well.
Meanings
- fine, well
- well-off, comfortable financially
- not bad, decent
Usage
Labès is one of the most frequent expressions in Tounsi. It serves as both question and answer in greetings: "labès?" – "labès, el 7amdoullah". With a pronoun, labès 3lih or labès 3liha means "he or she is doing well, is comfortable", often in the material sense. On its own, labès can also judge something as decent, nothing more: "el film labès". It is written as one or two words. The register is neutral and it can be used with anyone. Do not confuse this usage with the standard formula "la ba's", which is more formal.
Example
تحبّ تكون وحدها مرتاحة تبدا إنسان قارية و تخدم و لاباس عليها
theb tkou wahadha merteha tebda ensena 9aria w tekdem w lebes aliha
“She wants to be alone and at peace, to become an educated woman, to work and to be well-off.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “la bes”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “la bes” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “fine, I'm well”; “how are you? (greeting)”: la bas in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “fine, all good”; “no problem, never mind”: la bas in Algerian.