Darija Numbers & Counting (0–1000)

Why Numbers Are the First Thing to Learn

Of all Darija vocabulary, numbers deliver the fastest practical payoff. Every taxi ride, market purchase, phone number and clock reading depends on them. A traveler who can hear and say prices avoids being overcharged and negotiates with confidence.

Darija numbers are largely shared with other Arabic dialects but have Moroccan pronunciation quirks. The good news is that once you master one to twenty plus the tens and hundreds, you can build almost any number up to a thousand by combining pieces, much like in English.

Counting One to Ten

The foundation is one through ten: wa7ed (1), jouj (2), tlata (3), rb3a (4), khamsa (5), setta (6), seb3a (7), tmnya (8), ts3oud (9) and 3ashra (10). Note that jouj specifically means two and is used for counting and quantities, while zoj is a variant you may also hear.

Pronunciation tips matter. The 3 in 3ashra is a throaty ayn sound made deep in the throat, and the 7 in wa7ed is a breathy h from the chest. Practice these consonants slowly. They appear constantly and getting them right makes you instantly clearer to Moroccan ears.

From Eleven to Nineteen

The teens follow a recognizable pattern ending in -tash. They are 7dash (11), tnash (12), tletash (13), rb3tash (14), khmstash (15), settash (16), sb3tash (17), tmntash (18) and ts3tash (19). The -tash ending parallels the English -teen.

When counting objects in the teens, Darija often adds the word l before the noun, so eleven dirhams becomes 7dash derhem. Listen for the rhythm: the stress usually lands on the first syllable, which helps you catch numbers spoken quickly by vendors and taxi drivers.

Tens, Twenties and Compound Numbers

The tens are 3ashrin (20), tlatin (30), rb3in (40), khamsin (50), settin (60), sb3in (70), tmanin (80), ts3in (90). To build numbers in between, say the unit, then w (and), then the ten. So 21 is wa7ed w 3ashrin, 35 is khamsa w tlatin, and 47 is seb3a w rb3in.

This and structure is consistent and easy once internalized. Practice with prices you actually pay: a 25 dirham taxi is khamsa w 3ashrin derhem, and a 60 dirham tagine is settin derhem. Saying the full amount back to confirm avoids misunderstandings.

Hundreds and Thousands

One hundred is mya, two hundred is myatayn, and three hundred is tlt mya, with the pattern continuing as rb3 mya (400), khams mya (500) and so on. The thousand is alf, two thousand is alfayn, and three thousand is tlt alaf.

Combine them just like smaller numbers. One hundred fifty is mya w khamsin, and 1250 is alf w myatayn w khamsin. Large sums come up when renting cars, paying hotels or buying carpets, so practicing the hundreds saves you from costly confusion.

Using Numbers for Prices, Time and Quantities

To ask a price, say bsh7al? (how much?). The answer comes in dirhams (derhem) and sometimes in old-style rial, where prices are quoted in twenty-fold units, a common trick in traditional markets that can confuse tourists. If a price sounds shockingly high, ask b derhem wla b rial? (in dirhams or rial?).

For quantities, place the number before the item: jouj qahwa (two coffees), tlata dlma (three waters). For ordinals like first and second, use lewwel and tani. Numbers also drive telling time, phone numbers and addresses, so this single lesson pays off across every other situation.

Core Darija numbers reference

More Morocco articles → Learn Darija →