ta3bed تعبد
Tunisian Derja · verb
“ta3bed” (تعبد) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to worship.
Meanings
- to worship
- to revere, idolize
Usage
Ta3bed is a conjugated form of the verb 3bed / ya3bed, "to worship, to pay homage to". Depending on context, it means "you worship" or "she worships". The primary sense is religious: ya3bed rabbi, "he worships God". In derja, the object is often introduced with the preposition fi: ya3bed fi sanam, "he worships an idol". The verb is also used figuratively for someone with an excessive attachment to a person, to money or to an object. Note that "adore" in the weakened sense of "like a lot" ("I adore this dish") is not rendered by 3bed, which stays strong and often religious. For that weaker sense, say n7eb barcha instead.
Example
هو يعبد ربي ويصلي في وقتو
houwa ya3bed rabbi w ysalli fi wa9tou
“He worships God and prays on time.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ta3bed” but also “ta3bid”, “t3abed” and “ta3bd”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.