zbib زبيب
Tunisian Derja · noun
“zbib” (زبيب) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning raisins.
Meanings
- raisins
Usage
Zbib refers to raisins, most often black or brown. It's a collective noun: you say zbib for the goods in general and habbet zbib for a single raisin. They are used in certain sweet couscous dishes, in the mesfouf (sweet couscous with dried fruits), in pastries, and in sweet-savory meat dishes. You find them at the market next to almonds, walnuts, and dates. The word refers only to the dried fruit; fresh grapes are called 3neb.
Example
حطيت شوية زبيب في المسفوف.
7attit chwaya zbib fel mesfouf.
“I put some raisins in the mesfouf.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zbib” but also “zbiib” and “zebib”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.