Walk into any Moroccan souk, taxi or family-run riad and you will hear it within seconds: Darija, the warm, fast, musical Arabic dialect Moroccans actually speak every day. These essential Darija phrases are the single cheapest upgrade you can make to a Morocco trip — ten minutes of memorising turns stiff tourist transactions into grins, better prices and genuine conversations. This guide collects 40 basic Moroccan Arabic phrases for travellers, with plain-English pronunciation for each, organised by the moments you will actually use them.
One note before we start: Darija is not the formal Arabic of news broadcasts. It is a living mix of Arabic, Berber (Tamazight), French and Spanish, and it changes a little from Casablanca to Marrakech to Tangier. Nobody expects perfect grammar from a visitor — the effort itself is what opens doors. Say labas? with a smile and watch a shopkeeper's whole posture change.
Darija in 60 seconds: pronunciation basics
Moroccan Arabic has a few sounds English doesn't. Get these right and every phrase below will land better:
- kh — a throaty scrape, like clearing your throat (bkh in bshhal).
- gh — like a French "r", gargled softly (ghali, expensive).
- 3 — written as the number 3 in texts, a deep voiced sound from the throat (l3afya is beyond traveller level, but you will see the 3).
- sh / ch — always "sh" as in she, never "ch" as in cheese.
- Stress usually falls on the last syllable we have CAPITALISED in the guides below.
Moroccans write Darija in Latin letters in texts and on social media ("Arabizi"), so the spellings below will look familiar if you WhatsApp your riad host. Don't stress about spelling — say it out loud and you will be understood.
Greetings and polite basics: 10 Darija phrases
Greetings are a small ceremony in Morocco, and these common Moroccan phrases cover every hello, thanks and excuse-me you will need:
- Salam alaykum (sah-LAM ah-LAY-kum) — Peace be upon you; the standard hello. The reply is wa alaykum salam.
- Labas? (lah-BASS) — How are you? (literally "no harm?"). Answer labas, hamdullah (ham-doo-LAH) — I'm fine, thank God.
- Shukran (shook-RAN) — Thank you. Add bzzaf (b-ZAF) for "thank you very much".
- Afwan (af-WAN) — You're welcome.
- Smah liya (smah LEE-ya) — Excuse me / sorry — use it before asking anything.
- Yallah (YAL-lah) — Let's go! You will hear your driver say this constantly.
- Inshallah (in-sha-AL-lah) — God willing. Sprinkle it after any plan, as Moroccans do.
- Mtsharrfin (mit-shar-FEEN) — Nice to meet you — the Moroccan Arabic phrase for first introductions.
- Mashallah (ma-sha-AL-lah) — What God has willed; say it when admiring something, like a riad courtyard.
- Allah ykhallik (AL-lah y-KHAL-lik) — God keep you; a warm softener that turns a request into a favour asked nicely.
Yes, no and getting by: 5 survival basics
- Iyeh (ee-YEH) — Yes. (In the north you may hear ah.)
- La (lah) — No.
- Wakha (WA-kha) — OK / alright / agreed — the most useful single word in Morocco.
- Ma fhemtsh (ma FHEEM-tsh) — I don't understand.
- Dwi bshwiya (dwee bish-WEE-ya) — Speak slowly, please.
At the souk: 10 bargaining and shopping phrases
Bargaining is expected theatre in the souks, not confrontation. These Moroccan Arabic travel phrases keep it friendly and fun:
- Bshhal hada? (bish-HAL HA-da) — How much is this? (For "that one": bshhal hadak?)
- Ghali bzzaf (GHA-lee b-ZAF) — Too expensive — said with a smile, it starts the game.
- Nqes liya shwiya (n-QES LEE-ya SHWEE-ya) — Lower the price a little for me.
- Akhir taman? (a-KHEER tah-MAN) — Final price? Use it once you are close.
- Safi, nakhodha (SAH-fee nah-KHO-dha) — OK, I'll take it — closes the deal warmly.
- Ghir kantfarrej (ghir kan-TFAR-rej) — I'm just looking — the polite way to browse without pressure.
- Andi ghir… (AN-dee ghir) — I only have… (then name your dirhams).
- Zwin / zwina (zween / zwee-NA) — Beautiful (masculine / feminine) — admire first, then bargain.
- Ma bghitsh (ma BGHIT-sh) — I don't want it — for a firm, friendly no.
- Baraka (BA-ra-ka) — Enough — ends a persistent pitch with humour.
Never open bargaining unless you genuinely might buy — naming a price is a commitment in souk culture. Aim to settle around half to two-thirds of the first asking price for handicrafts, and always keep it smiling.
Getting around: 7 taxi and direction phrases
- Fin…? (feen) — Where is…? (Fin lmdina lqdima? — where is the old medina?)
- Bshhal l…? (bish-HAL) — How much to…? Agree the fare before getting in a petit taxi.
- Wa9f hna afak (wa-QAF HNA a-FAK) — Stop here, please.
- Hna (HNA) — Here. Temma (TEM-ma) — There.
- Qrib / b3id (q-REEB / b-EED) — Near / far.
- Lmahatta (l-ma-HAT-ta) — The station — add it to any destination: lmahatta d train.
- Taxi sghir / taxi kbir — Petit taxi (city) / grand taxi (shared, between towns).
In cities, petit taxis must run the meter (compteur) — if the driver refuses, take the next one. For grand taxis between towns, the price is fixed per seat; bshhal l…? confirms it.
Food and drink: 8 restaurant phrases
- Bghit… (BGHIT) — I want… — the key that unlocks every menu: bghit atay.
- Atay b n3na3 (ah-TAY b na-NA) — Mint tea — order it everywhere, always.
- Lma / ma bard (l-MA / ma BARD) — Water / cold water.
- Tagine, couscous, harira — the holy trinity; pronounce them as written and you are understood everywhere.
- Bnin (b-NEEN) — Delicious — the highest compliment to a cook.
- Lhisab afak (l-hi-SAB a-FAK) — The bill, please.
- Bsaha (b-SA-ha) — To your health — said to someone eating, like bon appétit.
- Safi, shukran (SAH-fee shook-RAN) — That's all, thanks — politely ends offers of more.
Just in case: 5 emergency phrases
Hopefully never needed, but worth knowing:
- Afak, awnni (a-FAK AWN-nee) — Please help me.
- Sbitar (sbee-TAR) — Hospital.
- Bolis (boo-LEES) — Police.
- Telefon (te-le-FON) — Phone.
- Fin kayn…? (feen KAYN) — Where is there a…? (fin kayn sbitar? — where is there a hospital?)
Darija or French? When to switch languages
Morocco runs on several languages at once, and knowing when to switch is part of the fun. In big cities, among educated Moroccans and in hotels, French often gets you further than English — menus, road signs and train announcements are bilingual Arabic-French. In rural areas, the Atlas and the desert, Darija (or Tamazight) is what people speak at home.
The golden rule: open in Darija, switch to French if offered, fall back to English in tourist zones. Even three phrases — salam, labas, shukran — signal respect, and respect is the currency that buys you the real Morocco: the invitation to tea, the honest price, the story you didn't expect.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Darija the same as Arabic?
Darija is the Moroccan dialect of Arabic — the language Moroccans speak at home, in markets and on the street. Modern Standard Arabic is used in news and formal writing, and a speaker of formal Arabic can usually follow Darija, but the vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar differ enough that they feel like cousins rather than twins. For travellers, learning a few Darija phrases is far more useful than formal Arabic.
Do I need to speak Darija to travel in Morocco?
No — you can travel Morocco comfortably without it. French is widely spoken in cities, hotels and restaurants, and English works in most tourist areas. But even ten basic Darija phrases transform the experience: shopkeepers quote fairer prices, taxi drivers relax, and strangers are far more likely to invite you for mint tea.
How do you say thank you in Moroccan Arabic?
Shukran (shook-RAN) — thank you. For extra warmth say shukran bzzaf (thank you very much). The reply you'll hear is afwan (you're welcome). In very traditional settings you may also hear barakallahu fik (God bless you) as thanks.
How do you greet someone in Darija?
Say salam alaykum (peace be upon you) — the universal Moroccan hello — and expect wa alaykum salam in return. Follow with labas? (how are you?) and you'll get labas, hamdullah (I'm fine, thank God). Handshakes are common between men; a hand on the heart with a nod works beautifully across genders.
Is Moroccan Arabic hard to learn for travellers?
Not the traveller version. You don't need grammar — just memorise short phrases phonetically, exactly as in this guide's 40-phrase list. The trickiest sounds are kh (a throaty scrape) and gh (a soft gargle), but Moroccans are famously encouraging with learners: attempt three words and you'll get applause, corrections and probably tea.
