sob7an سبحان
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“sob7an” (سبحان) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning exclamation of amazement (sobhan allah).
Meanings
- exclamation of amazement (sobhan allah)
- religious praise of God
Usage
The word is almost always used in the phrase "sob7an allah". In everyday speech, it is said to express surprise, admiration or irony at a coincidence or a contradiction. For example, on seeing a child who has grown a lot, or someone who does the opposite of what they preach. It also keeps its religious meaning of praise, notably in invocations and dhikr. The phrase is often pronounced in a single breath. It suits all registers. On its own, the isolated word is rare and refers back to the full phrase.
Example
سبحان الله، كبر برشة!
sob7an allah, kber barcha!
“Subhan Allah, he has grown so much!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sob7an” but also “soub7an”, “sobhan”, “subhan” and “sobhana”. 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.