marhba مرحب
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“marhba” (مرحب) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning welcome.
Meanings
- welcome
- you're welcome, with pleasure
Usage
Marhba is the most common welcoming formula in Tunisia. It is almost always built with bi- and a pronoun: marhba bik (to one person), marhba bikom (to several). It is used when someone arrives at your home, in a shop, on a broadcast or in the country. On its own, marhba also answers a thanks or a request: "with pleasure, go ahead". The tone is warm and suits all registers. Note that it is not a neutral greeting like "hello": marhba expresses hospitality towards someone you are receiving.
Example
مرحبا بيك، اقعد ارتاح
marhba bik, o93od rta7
“Welcome, sit down and rest.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “marhba” but also “mar7ba”, “mar7be”, “marhbe” and “merhba”. 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.