30 Darija Phrases Every Visitor to Morocco Should Know

Greetings and Politeness

Start every interaction with a greeting; it is the social glue of Moroccan life. Say 'salam' (sa-LAM) for a casual hello, or the fuller 'salam ou3alikoum' (sa-LAM oo- a-lay-koom) for 'peace be upon you'. To ask how someone is, use 'labas?' (la-BESS), which doubles as 'are you well?' and 'all good?'.

Politeness opens doors. 'Choukran' (SHOOK-ran) means thank you, 'afak' or 'aafak' (a-FAK) means please, and 'smahli' (smah-LEE) means excuse me or sorry. To say goodbye, 'bslama' (b-sla-MA) works everywhere. Sprinkle these in and watch the warmth of the response.

The Everyday Power Words

A few short words do an astonishing amount of heavy lifting in Darija. 'Wakha' (WA-kha) means 'okay' or 'fine, agreed'. 'Safi' (SA-fee) means 'enough', 'done' or 'that's it'. 'Bezzaf' (be-ZZEF) means 'a lot' or 'too much', perfect for haggling. 'Yallah' (ya-LLAH) means 'let's go' or 'come on'.

Add 'inshallah' (in-sha-LLAH, 'God willing', used for anything future), 'hamdullah' (ham-doo-LLAH, 'thank God / I'm well'), 'meskin' (mes-KEEN, 'poor thing'), and the all-purpose 'mzyan' (m-ZYAN, 'good / nice'). Master these eight and you can navigate a surprising share of daily exchanges.

Shopping and Haggling

The souk runs on Darija. Ask the price with 'bch7al?' (b-SH-hal, 'how much?'). If it is too steep, say 'ghali bezzaf' (GHA-lee be-ZZEF, 'too expensive') and counter. 'Naqes shwiya' (NA-qes sh-WEE-ya) means 'lower it a little', and a smile makes it land better.

When you want to walk away politely, 'la, choukran' (la, SHOOK-ran, 'no, thank you') is your shield against pushy vendors. To confirm a deal, 'wakha, safi' ('okay, done') seals it. Remember that haggling is expected and good-natured, so keep it light and never lose the smile.

Numbers, Food and Getting Around

Useful basics: 'l-ma' (l-MA) is water, vital in the heat; 'atay' (a-TAY) is mint tea, the national drink; 'khobz' (KHOBZ) is bread; and 'l-hsab' (l-HSAB) is the bill. To ask where something is, use 'fin?' (FEEN, 'where?'), as in 'fin l-hammam?' for the bathroom.

A handful of numbers helps: 'wahed' (WA-hed) one, 'jouj' (JOOJ) two, 'tlata' (t-LA-ta) three, 'rebaa' (re-BAA) four, 'khamsa' (KHAM-sa) five. And two more crowd-pleasers for World Cup summer: 'Dima Maghrib' (DEE-ma MAGH-rib, 'Always Morocco') and 'mabrouk' (mab-ROOK, 'congratulations'). Drop those and you are practically a local.

Frequently asked