sa7bi صاحبي
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sa7bi” (صاحبي) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning my friend, my mate.
Meanings
- my friend, my mate
- my boyfriend
- buddy, mate (address)
Usage
Sa7bi is formed from sa7eb, "friend", plus the possessive -i. It is the most common way to say "my friend". It is also used to address someone, even a stranger, with the force of "mate" or "buddy": ya sa7bi! When a girl says it, sa7bi can mean "my boyfriend". Context resolves the ambiguity, but be careful. The feminine is sa7bti, "my (female) friend", which can also mean "my girlfriend". The plural is s7abi, "my friends". The register is colloquial and neutral.
Example
صاحبي جاي توّا
sa7bi jey taw
“My friend is coming right now.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sa7bi” but also “sahbi”, “sa7by”, “sahby”, “sa7bii” and “sa7eb”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find صاحبي and صاحب, all the same word.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “sa7bi” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “my friend, my buddy”; “mate, buddy (form of address)”: sa7bi in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “my friend, my buddy”; “buddy (casual address)”: sahbi in Algerian.