metkhebi متخبي
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“metkhebi” (متخبي) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning hidden, in hiding.
Meanings
- hidden, in hiding
- keeping a low profile
Usage
Participle of the verb tkhabba (to hide oneself), used as an adjective. It describes a person or thing that is hidden, but also someone who keeps a low profile and avoids showing up, often with a nuance of reproach: "win metkhebbi?" (where are you hiding?) said to a friend one no longer sees. Feminine metkhebbia, plural metkhebbin. Do not confuse it with mkhabbi, which means "hidden by someone" (an object that has been concealed). In politics, it is used to mock a public figure who has vanished from the media.
Example
وينك متخبي؟ ما عادش نراوك.
winek metkhebbi? ma 3adech nrawk.
“Where have you been hiding? We don't see you anymore.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “metkhebi” but also “metkhabi”, “mitkhebbi”, “metkhebbi” and “mt5abi”. 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.