What Moroccan Arabic phrases should I learn before visiting Morocco?

Greetings and goodbyes

Each phrase below is shown in Arabic script with a Latin transliteration in brackets. In the respellings, kh is the rough sound in Scottish loch, gh is like a French r, and h in bshhal or lhamdullah is a breathy h from the throat.

As-salamu alaykum (peace be upon you) is the standard greeting and works with everyone, Muslim or not; the reply is wa alaykum salam. Labas? (all good?) is the everyday follow-up, and the answer usually includes lhamdullah, thanks be to God.

Polite essentials

La, shukran (no, thank you) is the phrase you will use most in Marrakech and Fes. Faux guides, shop callers and henna sellers will start conversations constantly; a smile, la shukran and walking on is polite and enough. Stopping to argue only extends it.

Afak (please) is attached to almost every request, and wakha (OK) seals any agreement.

Eating and drinking

Meals start with bismillah (in the name of God) and food is eaten and passed with the right hand. Mint tea, atay, is offered constantly; accepting a glass is polite.

We have left toasting out on purpose. Alcohol is legal in licensed hotels, bars and some restaurants, but most Moroccans don't drink and there is no everyday Darija toast to learn. Raising a glass and toasting at a table of Moroccans you don't know can be awkward.

Shopping and markets

Bargaining in the souks is normal and expected, and it is a conversation, not a fight. Ask the price, offer well below it, and meet somewhere in the middle; walking away politely is part of the game, and the price often follows you. Don't start bargaining for something you have no intention of buying, and if a guide brings you to a shop, his commission is in the price. More tactics are in our souk haggling guide.

Listen for rials. Many Moroccans count money in rial, an informal unit worth one twentieth of a dirham. If a stallholder says mia (100) for a few oranges, it may mean 100 rial, which is 5 dirhams. When in doubt, ask for the price in dirhams or have it written down.

The souks run on cash (flus, money). Supermarkets, malls and larger shops take cards; say la carte, the French word, if you want to pay by card.

Getting around

Petit taxis inside cities should use the meter (le compteur). Grand taxis between towns are shared and run on fixed fares. Intercity buses leave from the bus station, and CTM and Supratours run their own depots. Train stations are called by the French word la gare.

Numbers

Darija numbers differ from Standard Arabic: two is juj, not ithnayn. Prices are written in Western digits, so you only need these for spoken prices, and remember the rial trap above.

Help and emergencies

From a mobile, 112 connects to emergency services. The direct numbers are 19 for police in cities, 177 for the Gendarmerie Royale in rural areas and on highways, and 15 for ambulance and fire.

French and Amazigh basics

French is understood by most people in cities and is the language of menus, train tickets, banks and pharmacies. If your Darija runs out, French is the natural fallback.

Amazigh (Berber) languages, Tashelhit in the south, Central Atlas Tamazight in the Atlas and Tarifit in the Rif, are official alongside Arabic and written in the Tifinagh alphabet on public signs. Two words are recognised widely: azul (ⴰⵣⵓⵍ, hello, ah-ZOOL) and tanmmirt (ⵜⴰⵏⵎⵎⵉⵔⵜ, thank you, tan-MEERT). Both are modern revivals that many speakers use proudly, though plenty of Amazigh speakers simply say salam.

Etiquette that matters more than words

Greet first, then ask. Starting with salamu alikum before a question, even to a shopkeeper, changes the tone of the whole exchange.

Right hand for eating, giving and taking. The left hand is associated with the bathroom. Eat from the shared tagine with your right hand, and pay and receive change with it.

Accept the tea. Mint tea is the default welcome in homes, shops and riads. One glass is polite, and accepting tea in a shop does not commit you to buy.

Ask before photographing people. Many Moroccans, especially women and older people, don't want to be photographed. Musicians and performers in Jemaa el-Fnaa expect a tip if you do.

Respect prayer and Ramadan. Most mosques are closed to non-Muslims (Hassan II in Casablanca is the main exception). During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public in daytime; see visiting Morocco during Ramadan.

Our 24-day route from Tangier to the Sahara passes through most of the places mentioned here. More on customs is in what is considered rude in Morocco.

Frequently asked questions