Moroccan Darija: The Most Useful Moroccan Phrases to Learn
Last Updated on 4th July 2025 by Jessie
So, you’re after some useful Moroccan phrases to learn for your travels. But if you’re like most of the friends who bid me farewell, you might be asking – what language do Moroccans speak? Well now, take a seat my friend.
What language do Moroccans speak?
Firstly, if you ever find yourself in need of a little humbling (important from time to time in my opinion), try asking a Moroccan how many languages they speak. It’s my foolproof trick for knocking yourself down a peg or two.
The two official languages of Morocco are Darija (otherwise known as Moroccan Arabic) and Amazigh (or Berber).
Most Moroccans can also understand classical Arabic.
At least half of the population can speak French – thanks to France’s past colonial rule.
And in the north of Morocco, Spanish is widely spoken. Again, due to Spain’s stint at colonisation.
Annnd with growing popularity, particularly among young people – the good majority of people you meet in Morocco will likely also speak some English.
That makes an easy six. If you happen to ask a Moroccan working in the tourism industry, they’ll probably bump that number up a few with some passable German, Dutch or Latvian. Impressive to say the least.
Whilst Amazigh remains the mother tongue of many indigenous communities in Morocco, Darija is the most widely spoken language. So when looking for some useful Moroccan phrases to learn, Darija is your go-to.
I use affiliate links throughout my posts. This means that if you make a purchase through any of the links, I’ll get paid a small percentage – with no additional cost to you. I appreciate any and all support to keep me afloat so I can continue bringing honest, accurate travel tips to you.
Moroccan Travel Essentials
- First and foremost, get travel insurance with SafetyWing. They’re super affordable and one of the few companies that let you buy insurance mid-trip.
- Book the dreamiest Moroccan abode on Booking.com. They’re my go-to for accomodation because you can save loooaads with their loyalty discounts.
- Or if you’re after the one-stop-shop, BookSurfCamps is the best place to find surf camp packages in Morocco.
- Find the best local tours with GetYourGuide. It’s the easiest way to visit places like Paradise Valley or Timlalin Dunes.
- Make sure you’re connected as soon as you get off the plane with Airalo’s Moroccan eSIM.
- Set up a Wise travel card to save on international transaction fees.
- And if you’re working online (or want to watch Netflix in your downtime) I highly recommend getting set up with a SurfShark VPN.
And you’re sorted.
Do you need to learn the local language?
So why should you bother learning Darija? Well for starters, if Moroccans are putting in that much effort to foster conversation, it’s kind of the least you could do.
Secondly, I think it shows respect. Learning the local language is one small but meaningful way to honour the Moroccan people, their culture, and their wisdom. Plus, it’s one small defence against cultural erosion.
See my top tips for respecting Moroccan culture while travelling.
But, if neither of those arguments appeals to you, then know that just by learning a few simple words and greetings, your travels are going to be so much smoother. Your interactions with locals will be infinitely improved, you’ll make far more connections, and you’ll delight every shopkeeper and taxi driver you meet.
Be warned though, if your intellectual ego is already hanging on by a thread, then trying to learn Moroccan Darija could be your downfall. Nonetheless, I have shared below the most useful Moroccan phrases to make your travels that little bit breezier.
The Most Useful Moroccan Phrases
Darija Greetings
Moroccans tend to follow a certain script when greeting one another. It’s normal for one person to rattle off, “Ki dayr? Labas? Bikhir? Kulshi mzyan?” all in one breath. Whilst the other person races to get their lines in. I often get so caught up in trying to spit out all the pleasantries to the shopkeeper that I’ll forget the eggs I came for.
| Hello | Salamu 3laykum Or simply, salam. This translates to, ‘Peace be upon you,’ and is used as the standard greeting. |
| Wa-3laykum salam ‘And peace be upon you.’ | |
| Good morning | Sba lkhir |
| Good afternoon/evening | Msa lkhir |
| How are you? | Ki dayr (to a male) Ki dayra (to a female) |
| Are you fine? | Labas? Labas is used as both a question and an answer. Much like ‘ça va’ in French, or ‘alright?’ favoured by the Brits. |
| Everything is fine | Kulshi bikhir |
| Everything is great | Kulshi mzyan |
| What’s your name? | Shnu smitk |
| My name is.. | Ana smiti.. (as a female) Ana smitu.. (as a male) |
| And you? | U nta? (to a male) U nti? (to a female) |
| Where are you from? | Mnin nta? (to a male) Mnin nti? (to a female) |
| I’m from.. | Ana mn.. |
| Nice to meet you | Mtshrfin |
| Good bye | Bslama |
| Good night | Layla sa3ida |
| See you later | Nshufk mn b3d |
| Take care | Thala frask (to a male) Thalay frask (to a female) |
| I love you | Kanbghik |
Darija Basics
Once you’ve done the dance of Darija greetings – these are the most useful Moroccan phrases to have an actual, practical conversation.
| Yes | Eyeh |
| No | Lla |
| Thank you | Shukran |
| If God wills it | Inshallah A common response to any question or predicament. It’s a handy one to have up your sleeve if you’re feeling noncommittal. Basically – if it will be, it will be. |
| Let’s go/Come on | Yallah Another super common word that finds its way into most contexts. |
| Praise be to God | Humdulilah |
| Cheers/Bon appetit | Besaha |
| Welcome | Mer7ba |
| Excuse me/sorry | Sma7 li (to a male) Sam7i li (to a female) |
| Please | 3afak You won’t hear this used much by Moroccans. By no means are they any less polite – it’s just not a necessary expression. |
| Good | Mezyan |
| Beautiful | Zwin (masculine) Zwina (feminine) |
| A lot | Bzef |
| A little | Shwiya |
| Okay | Wakha |
| Give me.. (something) | 3tini.. It’s perfectly acceptable to use this when asking for something. No need for “may I have..” Moroccans are direct. |
| Take.. (this) | Hak (to a male) Haki (to a female) |
| No problem | Mashi moshkil |
| I want.. | Bghit |
| I don’t want.. | Ma bghitsh |
| Nothing | Walo |
| No money | Walo flous Handy on the beach when you’re offered mint tea or spiced nuts for the fifth time. |
| I know | 3reft |
| I don’t know | Ma 3reftsh |
| Forbidden | Haram |
| Where is the toilet? | Fin kayna twalit? |
| How much? (is this) | Besh7al? |
| Agreed/enough | Safi You’ll hear this a lot. You can use it in the markets to indicate the amount of spices you want. Or when you’ve had enough of an argument. Safi saaaafi. |
| I’m tired | Ana 3iyana (as a female) Ana 3iyan (as a male) |
| Great work | Nadia |
| Delicious | Bnine (masculine) Bnina (feminine) Mandatory for your Moroccan adventures. |
| Bread | Khobz |
| Where’s the best spot to watch the sunset? | I have no idea how to ask this. Buuut, I’ve answered this for you in my guide to the best sunset spots. So the question is moot anyhow. |
Darija Numbers
Veeeery handy when shopping at the markets or bartering with taxi drivers. Combine these with my guide on catching taxis and your trip just got ten times smoother. At least.
| One | Wahed |
| Two | Juj |
| Three | Tlata |
| Four | Arba3a |
| Five | Khemsa |
| Six | Setta |
| Seven | Sab3a |
| Eight | Tmenya |
| Nine | Ts3ud |
| Ten | 3shra |
Bonus Round
Keep these ones up your sleeve to really dazzle the locals.
| I wish I was a bird | Kntmenna kn knt teeyer |
| I come from the sky | Ana mn sma |
| I’m an alien | Ana fadaiya |
A note on Darija spelling
A little disclaimer: If you look up any of these useful Moroccan phrases you will probably find a different spelling iteration on each website. Moroccan Darija is predominantly an oral language, so there’s no standard spelling.
For instance, you will find ‘welcome‘ written with an ‘a’, as marhaba; or with an ‘e’, as merhaba; or with half the vowels missing, as mr7ba. As a native English speaker, it’s bizarre. Just have fun with it.
Why are there numbers in Moroccan words?
You can thank the advent of texting for this. And for the transcription of Arabic more generally.
When mobile phones first came into use, there were no Arabic keyboards. Thus, young Arabs got creative and transcribed the language phonetically using Latin letters. However, whilst most Arabic letters can be expressed using the Latin alphabet, there are a few sounds that have no equivalent character.
ع is one of these.
ح is another.
ع looks like a backward 3, and ح somewhat resembles a 7. Et voila, problem solved.
A Simple guide to pronunciation
ع or 3
Like the ‘a’ in ‘fat’, but spoken with your tongue placed on the bottom of your mouth and coming from deeper in your throat.
ح or 7
Like the ‘h’ sound, but coming from deeper in the throat.
Learning Darija as a native English speaker is pretty tricky. But just by nailing a few basic greetings and useful Moroccan phrases you’ll infinitely improve the interactions you have with locals. Moroccans are so eager to help you learn and will delight in any attempts you make.
If you learn just one phrase, let it be salam a3likum. Truly the least you could do.
If you are staying in Tamraght longer-term and want to delve further into Moroccan Darija – send me an email daytrips.etc@gmail.com and I’ll provide you with the details of a great local teacher!
Bslama, thala frask.
To put your learnings into practice, check out my ideal 10-day Moroccan coast travel itinerary.
For more Maroc info and a little less of my own opinions, I’ve created a travel wisdom-sharing hub over on Facebook. Join the group here.
