pff بف
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“pff” (بف) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning pff (annoyance, weariness).
Meanings
- pff (annoyance, weariness)
- meh (scorn, disdain)
Usage
Pff is an onomatopoeia expressing annoyance, boredom, weariness or disdain, like "pff" in French. It is used in speech and especially in writing on social media, often repeated (pff pff) or with stretched letters (pfffff) for emphasis. It goes at the start of a sentence, before the reason for the displeasure. It is also used on its own, as a reaction to disappointing news. Its register is colloquial. It does not express hesitation: for an undecided "meh", choose another phrase.
Example
بف، الكار زادت تأخرت.
pfff, el car zedet t2akhret.
“Pff, the bus is late again.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “pff” but also “pf” and “bff”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.