Language and etiquette in Morocco

In Morocco people speak Darija (Moroccan Arabic), Tamazight and French, and in tourist areas English as well. You don't need to know Arabic to travel here. But if you know a few words of Darija and understand the etiquette, people are warmer, prices are fairer and conversations last longer.

Which languages

Morocco has two official languages: Arabic and Tamazight (Berber). At home people speak Darija, the Moroccan Arabic that differs a lot from the Arabic of the Middle East, or one of the Berber languages. You hear those mainly in the Atlas Mountains, the south and the Rif. French is the language of education, business and street signs; in the cities almost everyone speaks it. English is gaining ground among young people and in tourism. You hear Spanish in the north.

English gets you by in riads, restaurants and with guides, and French almost everywhere. Darija is mostly for getting a smile. Soukayna speaks the language of the country, so along the way she translates whatever is needed.

Twenty words that get you started

The pronunciation is approximate, and the capitals show where the stress falls. "Kh" is the rough sound at the end of the Scottish "loch", and "gh" is close to a French r.

1. Salam (sa-LAM): hello
2. Salam aleikum (sa-LAM a-LAY-koom): peace be upon you, the full greeting. Reply: wa aleikum salam
3. Sbah lkhir (sbah l-KHEER): good morning
4. Msa lkhir (msa l-KHEER): good evening
5. Bslama (bes-LA-ma): goodbye
6. Shukran (SHOOK-ran): thank you
7. La shukran (LA SHOOK-ran): no, thank you. The most useful phrase in the souk
8. Afak (a-FAK): please (when you ask for something)
9. Wakha (WA-kha): okay, fine
10. La (LA): no
11. Iyeh (EE-yeh): yes
12. Smahli (SMAH-lee): sorry, excuse me
13. Bshhal (bsh-HAL): how much is it
14. Ghali (GHA-lee): expensive. Say it with a smile when you haggle
15. Bzzaf (bez-ZEF): a lot, too much
16. Shwiya (SHWEE-ya): a little. Shwiya sukkar: a little sugar
17. Atay (a-TIE): tea
18. Ma (MA): water
19. Zwin / zwina (ZWEEN / ZWEE-na): beautiful, tasty (masculine / feminine)
20. Hamdullah (ham-doo-LAH): thank God; the answer to "how are you" and what you say after a meal

In Berber villages in the Atlas it always goes down well if you say "azul" (hello) and "tanmirt" (thank you) in Tamazight.

Greetings

In Morocco you always greet people: when you enter a shop, get into a taxi or walk into a village. "Salam" with a handshake is the standard. Between women, two kisses on the cheek sometimes follow. A man doesn't always shake a woman's hand. He does that out of respect; it is not meant as rude. So wait and see whether he offers his hand, and otherwise place your hand on your heart. After a greeting you can also use that gesture to say "thank you" or "nice to meet you".

Photos

Always ask before you photograph someone. Many Moroccan women and older people don't want to be in a photo, and taking one on the sly anyway is disrespectful. With children, ask the parents. On Jemaa el-Fna, snake charmers, musicians and the men with monkeys expect a tip for a photo. If you don't want to pay, point your camera somewhere else. Buildings, streets and markets are fine to photograph, except military sites and the police.

Hands, shoes and body language

• Give and receive everything with your right hand: money, bread, a glass of tea. The left hand is considered unclean.
• Take off your shoes when you enter a home, and usually also in a riad lounge with carpets. Check whether there are shoes by the door.
• Don't point your foot at people and don't sit so that the soles of your feet face someone.
• Holding hands or kissing in public between a man and a woman is not appreciated. Between female friends, walking arm in arm is completely normal.
• Raising your voice or getting angry backfires. Stay calm and firm, and you get further.

Invitations

An invitation for tea is sincere, also in a shop. It is how Moroccans welcome you, and it doesn't commit you to anything. If you are invited into someone's home, that is an honor. Bring something: pastries, fruit or sugar. That last one is traditional. Take off your shoes, accept the tea, eat what you are offered and say that it tastes good. Don't ask too much about money or politics; do ask about family and the village.

You experience this during a stay with a Berber family, which is possible on some of our trips. Saïd arranges those kinds of encounters and Soukayna is there to translate.

Religion

Morocco is a Muslim country and you see religion in daily life: the call to prayer five times a day, Friday as the day of rest, Ramadan. All that is asked of you is respect. Don't speak disrespectfully about Islam, don't pose right in front of a mosque and keep the closing times around Friday prayer in mind. For more on traveling during the fasting month, read the guide on Ramadan.

Among women

As a woman in Morocco you get into places men don't: the women's hammam, the kitchen, the conversations inside the house while the men stay outside. With a female driver that goes more easily. In the villages Soukayna is received as a woman among women, and you along with her. The guide on safety explains how that also makes your trip safer.