tben تبن
Tunisian Derja · noun
“tben” (تبن) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning straw, fodder for livestock.
Meanings
- straw, fodder for livestock
- (fig.) idiot, good-for-nothing
Usage
In its literal sense, tben means cereal straw, especially what is fed to animals. The word is also widely used figuratively, in a contemptuous tone. Ya tben is an insulting address for calling someone incompetent, for example a player who misses everything. Koul tben ("eat straw") means "shut up, you're talking nonsense". These uses are informal and hurtful, and are best avoided outside a close circle. In an agricultural or rural context, the word remains neutral.
Example
الفلاح حط التبن للبهايم
el fella7 7at et-tben lel bhayem
“The farmer gave the straw to the animals.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tben” but also “tbin”, “teben”, “tbn” and “tbene”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.