sweb صواب
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sweb” (صواب) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning politeness, good manners, respect.
Meanings
- politeness, good manners, respect
- what is right, proper
Usage
In Tunisia, sweb mainly means politeness and good manners: how to behave and speak with respect. People say "3andou sweb" (he is well brought up) or, as a reproach, "ma 3andekch sweb ?" (have you no manners at all?). Parents use it a lot to correct children. The sense of "right, correct" also exists, mostly in expressions close to Standard Arabic. Pitfall: the usual meaning is not "true" or "exact" but "polite, proper".
Example
ولدك عندو برشة صواب، يسلّم على الكبار.
weldek 3andou barcha sweb, ysallem 3al kbar.
“Your son is very polite, he greets his elders.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sweb” but also “swab”, “souab” and “sweeb”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.