zebla زبلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“zebla” (زبلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning piece of garbage, trash.
Meanings
- piece of garbage, trash
- worthless thing or person (pejorative)
Usage
Zebla means a piece of waste or garbage in general. The collective zbel is also very common: "garbage, trash cans". For example, municipal workers are said to collect the zebla. Figuratively, the word contemptuously describes a poor-quality object or a person considered contemptible. In that case it becomes a fairly strong insult. So distinguish the neutral use, about cleanliness and waste, from the pejorative use, which is best avoided.
Example
هز الزبلة وانت هابط
hez ezzebla w enti habet
“Take the trash with you on your way down.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zebla” but also “zabla”, “zbel” and “zibla”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.