nabeti نباتي
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“nabeti” (نباتي) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning vegetarian.
Meanings
- vegetarian
- plant-based, of plant origin
Usage
Nabeti applies to a person who does not eat meat: "ana nabeti, ma nekelch el l7am". The feminine is nabetiya and the plural nabetiyin. Said of a product, it means "plant-based": "zit nabeti" for vegetable oil, "7lib nabeti" for a plant-based drink. The word comes from standard Arabic but is used as is in conversation. The vegetarian choice remains uncommon in Tunisia, where festive meals revolve around meat. You often have to specify that you do not eat chicken or fish either. The French word "végétarien" is also heard in cities.
Example
أختي نباتية، ما تاكلش اللحم والدجاج.
okhti nabetiya, ma teklech el l7am w eddjej.
“My sister is vegetarian, she doesn't eat meat or chicken.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “nabeti” but also “nabati”, “nabaty” and “nabéti”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.