s7ab صحاب
Tunisian Derja · noun
“s7ab” (صحاب) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning friends, mates.
Meanings
- friends, mates
- owners, holders (of something)
Usage
S7ab is the plural of sa7bi (friend). It is the ordinary word for one's friends or group of mates, in all informal registers. It is almost always used with a possessive: s7abi (my friends), s7abek (your friends), s7abna (our friends). The expression "a7na s7ab" means "we are friends". In a more formal or religious register, the same root gives s7aba or "es-sa7aba", the Companions of the Prophet: this sense should not be confused with everyday usage. Followed by a noun, s7ab can also mean "those who own", for example "s7ab el flous" (people who have money).
Example
باش نخرج مع صحابي الليلة
bech no5rej m3a s7abi el lila
“I'm going out with my friends tonight.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “s7ab” but also “sh7ab”, “s7abi”, “so7ab” and “sahab”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.