mestaghreb مستغرب
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“mestaghreb” (مستغرب) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning astonished, surprised.
Meanings
- astonished, surprised
- puzzled, skeptical
Usage
Mestaghreb describes a person who is surprised, often with a hint of disapproval or incomprehension. The typical construction is mestaghreb men + noun: mestaghreb men ka3eb, "surprised by someone or something". It is very often found in the negative, manich mestaghreb, "it doesn't surprise me", to express resigned cynicism. The feminine is mestaghrba, the plural mestaghrbin. The register is everyday, a little more polished than mfadded or mbahet. The expression manich mestaghreb is frequent in comments on the news.
Example
أنا مستغرب منو، ما عملهاش قبل.
ana mestaghreb mennou, ma 3malhech 9bal.
“I'm surprised by him, he never did that before.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mestaghreb” but also “mistaghreb”, “mestaghrb” and “mestghreb”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “mestaghreb” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “astonished, surprised”; “puzzled, finding it strange”: mstaghreb in Moroccan.