sogħob

Maltese

Root
s-għ-b
3 terms

Etymology

From Arabic صَعُبَ (ṣaʕuba, “to be difficult”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɔːp/
• IPA^(key): /sɔˤːp/ (archaic)

Verb

sogħob (imperfect jisgħob)

1. (impersonal) there to be regret or sorrow; (in context) to regret; to be sorry

   Synonym: ddispjaċa

   Jisgħob bija għal dak li għamilt.

   I regret what I did.

   (literally, “There is regret with me on that which I did.”)

Usage notes

• Due to the impersonal construction only the third-person singular masculine is generally applicable. The logical subject is given with the preposition b’. That which one regrets is given with għal or minn.
• As a tendency, sogħob is stronger and more moralistic (“regret, rue”) than the synonym ddispjaċa (“being sorry”), though they could also be used interchangeably.