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25 Darija words for your first day in Morocco
Greetings, politeness, prices and directions: the words that cover most of a first day, with the transliteration you can read out loud.
Twenty five words sound like nothing until you count how often you use them. These are the ones that come back hour after hour on a first day.
Greeting and leaving
- salam: hello.
- sbah l-khir: good morning.
- labas?: are you well? And the answer: labas.
- bslama: goodbye.
- mrhba: welcome, and also you are welcome.
Politeness that opens doors
- shukran: thank you.
- afak: please.
- smh liya: excuse me, sorry.
- al hamdulillah: thank God, the usual answer to how are you.
- inshallah: God willing, attached to anything in the future.
Buying things
- bshhal?: how much?
- ghali bzzaf: very expensive, said with a smile.
- bghit: I want.
- wahd: one. juj: two. tlata: three.
- khubz: bread. ma: water. atay: tea.
Finding your way
- fin?: where?
- limn: right. lisr: left. nishan: straight on.
- hna: here. tmma: there.
- bzzaf: a lot. shwiya: a little.
How to make them stick
Say each one out loud three times, then use five of them before lunch. Words you have spoken to a person stay; words you have only read go. Review the list the next morning while the kettle boils and you will keep most of it.
'kilma' records every word with a Moroccan teacher, so you hear the rhythm before you try it. Start with the free 20 minute talk and let a teacher pick your first pack.