tadbir تدبير
Tunisian Derja · noun
“tadbir” (تدبير) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning way of getting by.
Meanings
- way of getting by
- management, running of affairs
- decree, design (of God)
Usage
Tadbir refers to the way one organizes oneself to get by. The most common expression is "tadbir er-ras", literally "the getting-by of the head": earning a living, finding enough to live on, often through means additional to a salary. An income is thus said to come "on top of the tadbir er-ras". The word is also used for the good management of a household or a budget. In a religious register, "tadbir rabbi" refers to the divine will that disposes of everything, often set against human plans. The corresponding verb is "dabbar", "to manage, to find a solution".
Example
الشهرية ما تكفيش، لازم تدبير الراس.
ech-chahriya ma tekfich, lazem tadbir er-ras.
“The salary isn't enough, you have to find a way to get by.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tadbir” but also “tedbir”, “tadbiir” and “tdbir”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.