ta3bir تعبير
Tunisian Derja · noun
“ta3bir” (تعبير) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning expression, act of expressing.
Meanings
- expression, act of expressing
- essay (school exercise)
- phrasing, wording
Usage
Ta3bir is used in fixed phrases such as horriyet et-ta3bir, "freedom of expression", or sou2 ta3bir, "a clumsy choice of words". The latter phrase is used to apologize for a remark that was misunderstood. At school, ta3bir refers to the essay or written expression exercise. For an "idiomatic expression", kelma or 3ebara is used instead. The corresponding verb is 3abber, "to express". It is heard in the construction 3abber 3la ra2you, "to express one's opinion". The word is a little formal, but very common in speech.
Example
سامحني، هاذاكا سوء تعبير برك
sam7ni, hedhaka sou2 ta3bir bark
“Forgive me, that was just poor wording.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ta3bir” but also “ta3birr”, “taabir” and “ta3bire”. 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.
Type “ta3bir” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “expression, way of saying”; “composition (school exercise)”: ta3bir in Moroccan.