ma7abba محبة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“ma7abba” (محبة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning love, affection.
Meanings
- love, affection
- friendship, goodwill between people
Usage
Ma7abba refers to affection in general: love between family members, friendship, the fondness one has for people. It is less tied to romantic passion than "7ob". It often appears in good wishes ("sa77a w ma7abba"), in dedications and in phrases about human relationships, for example "ma7abbet ennès" (people's affection). The register is neutral, a little formal in writing. One also says "b ma7abba" in the sense of "with pleasure, gladly". In the construct state, the word is pronounced "ma7abbet".
Example
نعملها بمحبة، ما عليك شي.
na3melha b ma7abba, ma 3lik chay.
“I'm doing it gladly, you owe me nothing.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ma7abba” but also “mahabba”, “m7abba”, “ma7aba” and “mahaba”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.