t7leb تحلب
Tunisian Derja · verb
“t7leb” (تحلب) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to milk (she/you milks).
Meanings
- to milk (she/you milks)
- to give milk (cow)
Usage
T7leb is the conjugated form of "7leb", to milk, in the 2nd person or the 3rd person feminine of the imperfective. The word belongs to rural and agricultural vocabulary: "t7leb l-bagra", she milks the cow. In "bagra t7leb", the meaning is "a dairy cow, one that gives milk". The corresponding noun is "7lib", milk. Figuratively, "7leb" can mean to exploit someone, to squeeze money out of them. Be careful not to confuse the conjugated form with the English infinitive.
Example
أمي تحلب البقرة كل صباح
ommi t7leb el bagra kol sbe7
“My mother milks the cow every morning.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “t7leb” but also “ta7leb”, “t7lib” and “tahleb”. 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.