na9ba نقبة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“na9ba” (نقبة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning hole.
Meanings
- hole
- gap, opening in a wall
Usage
A common word for a hole in a garment, a wall, a shoe or a container: sabbat fih na9ba, el 7it fih na9ba. The associated verb is n9ab (to pierce, to make a hole in). The expression ya3mel na9ba fil ma (to make a hole in water) is said of a futile effort that leads nowhere. Plural n9ab or na9bet. The register is neutral and everyday. For a hole dug in the ground, 7ofra is used instead.
Example
السروال متاعي فيه نقبة في الركبة.
esserwel mte3i fih na9ba fi rokba.
“My trousers have a hole in the knee.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “na9ba” but also “nakba”, “nagba” and “nekba”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.