sa7ba صاحبة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sa7ba” (صاحبة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning female friend.
Meanings
- female friend
- girlfriend
- owner (sa7bet + noun)
Usage
Sa7ba is the feminine of "sa7eb" (friend). The meaning depends on context: "sa7bti" can mean a simple friend, but "3andou sa7ba" (he has a girlfriend) almost always indicates a romantic relationship. Pay attention, since the word is the same. In the construct state it becomes "sa7bet": "sa7bet ed-dar" (the owner of the house), "sa7bet el 7anout" (the owner of the shop). Common plural: "sa7bét". A very close friend is also called "sa7ebti el kbira".
Example
مشيت للبحر مع صاحبتي.
mchit lel b7ar m3a sa7bti.
“I went to the beach with my friend.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sa7ba” but also “sahba”, “sa7bti”, “sa7beti” and “sahbti”. 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.