Language & Useful Phrases for Marrakech

The Languages of Morocco: Arabic, Darija, French, Tamazight and English

Morocco is officially bilingual: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Tamazight (Amazigh / Berber) are both constitutional languages. In practice you will hear four layers of language on a typical day in Marrakech. MSA appears on signs, in newspapers and on official TV news, but almost no one speaks it on the street. The everyday spoken language is Darija, Moroccan Arabic — a vibrant dialect blending Classical Arabic with Amazigh, French, Spanish and a sprinkle of English.

Tamazight is spoken by roughly a quarter of Moroccans, mostly in the High Atlas, the Souss and the Sahara. Three main varieties exist (Tashelhit, Tamazight, Tarifit) and the language has its own ancient script called Tifinagh, which you will see on Moroccan road signs alongside Arabic and French. If you are heading to a Berber village in the Atlas or a desert camp near Merzouga, a few Tamazight greetings open doors no Arabic phrase can.

French is the dominant second language across business, government and tourism. Nearly everyone in Marrakech's hospitality sector speaks functional French and many speak fluent English, Spanish, German or Italian as well. You do not need to speak Darija or French to enjoy Marrakech — English carries you through the tourist zones. But five Darija words will earn you smiles, better souk prices and an entirely different welcome.

Greetings and Pronunciation Basics

Start every interaction with salam alaykum (peace be upon you), answered with wa alaykum salam (and upon you peace). For shorter exchanges, just salam works. Through the day you will also use:

• sbah l'kheir — good morning
• msa l'kheir — good evening
• tisbah ala kheir — good night (when leaving someone for the night)
• bslama — goodbye
• labas? — are you well? Reply: labas, hamdullah (fine, praise God)
• ki dayr? (to a man) / ki dayra? (to a woman) — how are you?

After a handshake, briefly touch your right hand to your heart — the universal Moroccan sincerity gesture. For more cultural context on greetings and respect, see our guide to cultural etiquette.

Pronunciation key: four sounds trip up most beginners. kh is a throaty hiss like the German Bach or the Spanish jota. gh is a softer throaty rumble, almost a French r. q is a deep k made far back at the soft palate (in shukran it's the harder k; q appears in words like souq). The apostrophe (') or number 3 in transliteration represents a brief glottal stop or a deeper throat sound (the Arabic ayn) — approximate it with a small pause and you will be understood.

Ten Polite Survival Phrases You Will Use Every Day

If you memorise nothing else, memorise these ten. They cover roughly 80% of polite tourist interactions in Marrakech.

1. shukran — thank you
2. afak (sometimes written 3afak) — please, or excuse me to get attention
3. la shukran — no thank you (the magic phrase to wave off persistent vendors)
4. smḥ liya — sorry / forgive me (use after a bump, a misstep, an awkward moment)
5. iyyeh or iya — yes (informal)
6. la — no
7. wakha — OK, alright, agreed
8. mafhemtsh — I don't understand
9. kif tqul... b'darija? — how do you say... in Darija?
10. bslama — goodbye

Pair each phrase with a smile, a hand-on-heart and you will be welcomed wherever you go. If someone speaks too fast, slow them down with shwiya b'shwiya, afak (slowly please).

Numbers and Counting in Darija and French

Numbers 1-10 in Darija are the workhorses of Marrakech shopping:

• 1 — wahed
• 2 — jouj
• 3 — tlata
• 4 — rba
• 5 — khamsa
• 6 — stta
• 7 — sba
• 8 — tmenia
• 9 — tessoud
• 10 — ashra

Higher numbers exist in Darija (hdash 11, tnash 12, ashreen 20, tlateen 30, mia 100) but most Moroccans switch to French past 20 when quoting prices. Learn at least vingt (20), trente (30), cinquante (50), cent (100), deux cents (200), cinq cents (500), mille (1000) and you will follow most souk negotiations.

Useful fractional words: nouss (half), rba (quarter), tlit (third). A common souk phrase is khamsin dirham, w nouss — fifty dirham and a half. Examples: 5 dirhams = khamsa dirham or cinq dirhams; 75 MAD = khamsa w sebin dirham or simply soixante-quinze dirhams.

Shopping and Bargaining Phrases for the Souks

Bargaining is a friendly conversation in the souks of Marrakech, not a confrontation. The vocabulary is small, but the right phrase at the right moment changes the price.

• bshhal hada? — how much is this?
• ghali bezaf — too expensive
• akhsen, afak — less, please
• akher taman? — last price?
• khasni nfekker — I need to think about it
• wakha — OK (when you agree)
• la shukran — no thank you (and keep walking)
• zwin (masculine) / zwina (feminine) — beautiful (compliment the item, soften the haggle)
• bzaf — too much
• shwiya — a little

The rhythm: ask bshhal hada?, smile when you hear the first number, say ghali bezaf, counter at 40-50% of the asking price, let them counter you, and walk away if you stall. The vendor often calls you back with a better offer. Compliments like zwina bezaf (very beautiful) keep the tone warm. Never insult goods. For more bargaining context see our cultural etiquette guide.

Restaurant, Taxi and Directions Phrases

In a restaurant:

• l-menu afak — the menu please
• wahed atay, afak — one mint tea, please
• wahed tagine djaj — one chicken tagine
• bla l'hem — without meat (for vegetarians)
• bnin bezaf! — very delicious! (always appreciated)
• l-hssab afak — the bill please (also l'addition in French)

In a petit taxi:

• compteur afak — meter, please
• bshhal l-Jemaa el-Fna? — how much to Jemaa el-Fna?
• hna safi, shukran — here is fine, thank you (when you want to be dropped)
• shwiya b'shwiya — slow down

Directions and time:

• fin kayn...? — where is...?
• fin l-medina? — where is the Medina?
• ila l-yameen — to the right
• ila l-yssar — to the left
• nichan — straight ahead
• lyoum — today
• ghedda — tomorrow
• daba — now
• men b3ed — later
• shi sa — about an hour

Cultural Phrases Every Visitor Hears

Three short words shape almost every Moroccan conversation, and you will hear them dozens of times a day. Understanding them is the difference between feeling like a tourist and feeling like a guest.

Inshallah (God willing) is the most omnipresent. Moroccans use it whenever the future is involved: 'See you tomorrow, inshallah.' 'Your bag will be ready Friday, inshallah.' It can mean a confident yes, a polite maybe, or a soft no depending on tone — body language is the tell. Use it yourself: it shows humility before fate and lands warmly.

Hamdullah (praise God) follows good news: after a meal, when you say you slept well, when someone asks how you are. Labas, hamdullah (fine, praise God) is a standard reply even from people who have just lost their wallet. It is not a religious claim; it is a social tic that signals gratitude and resilience.

Bismillah (in the name of God) opens every meal, every car ride, every new task. Don't be surprised if your taxi driver murmurs it before pulling away. You can join in or stay quiet; either is fine.

Two more you will hear often: labas (literally 'no harm' — it means 'fine' or 'no problem'); and mashi mushkil (no problem). Sprinkle mashi mushkil into your day and watch faces relax.

Tamazight Bonus and Learning Resources

If your itinerary includes the High Atlas (Imlil, Ouirgane, Ait Bougmez) or the Sahara (Merzouga, Zagora), a handful of Tamazight greetings will charm any Berber host more than perfect Darija. The basics:

• azul — hello (the universal Amazigh greeting)
• tanmirt — thank you
• la or uhu — no
• yeh — yes
• manik antgit? — how are you?
• akham — house / home
• aman — water

On road signs in the Atlas, you will see place names spelled three ways: Arabic script, the Latin alphabet, and Tifinagh (the ancient Amazigh script of small geometric symbols). For trip planning to the Atlas Mountains or the desert, these phrases will be remembered long after a tip.

Learning tools before you fly: Drops and Memrise both have Darija decks for spaced-repetition practice; Glossika offers Moroccan Arabic sentence drills with native audio; the Pimsleur Eastern Arabic course covers Levantine but is a useful Arabic primer; YouTube channels like Learn Moroccan Arabic with Karim and SpeakMoroccan publish free lessons; and the Reddit community at r/Morocco is friendly to language questions. Two or three short sessions over a week will give you the confident greetings that change every interaction.