Travel Q&A
What language do they speak in Morocco?
Short answer Morocco is a multilingual country. The further off the tourist path you go, the more important French (or some Darija) becomes.
Morocco is a multilingual country. The further off the tourist path you go, the more important French (or some Darija) becomes.
The full picture
- Darija (Moroccan Arabic), what people actually speak day-to-day. Mutually almost-unintelligible with Egyptian or Gulf Arabic. ~35 million speakers.
- Tamazight / Berber, three regional variants (Tachelhit, Tarifit, Tamazight). Co-official language. Strong in rural areas, the Atlas Mountains, and the south.
- Standard Arabic (Fusha), used in news, official documents, religious contexts. Not spoken casually.
- French, second language of business, education, and the urban middle class. Almost universal in cities. Menu French is everywhere.
- English, growing fast, especially among under-30s, hospitality workers, and tourist-zone shopkeepers.
- Spanish, common in the north (Tangier, Tetouan, Chefchaouen) due to proximity to Spain.
What works where (English-speaker reality check)
| Where | Will English work? |
|---|---|
| Marrakech tourist zones | Yes |
| Marrakech medina shopkeepers | Mostly, they speak whatever sells |
| Casablanca / Rabat business areas | Yes |
| Fes medina | Mixed, French is more reliable |
| Chefchaouen | French and Spanish more than English |
| Atlas Mountains villages | French or Berber, English no |
| Sahara villages (Merzouga, Mhamid) | French, English among guides |
| Train tickets, bus stations | French |
| Petit taxi drivers | French, some English in tourist zones |
| Pharmacies, doctors | French |
| Street food, local cafés | French, gestures, smiles |
Survival phrases that punch above their weight
A handful of Darija words will get you respect, smiles, and probably a better price.
| Darija | When |
|---|---|
Salam | Hello, universal |
Shukran | Thank you |
Labas? | ”How are you?”, informal |
Bshhal? | ”How much?” |
Ghali bezzaf | ”Too expensive” |
Safi | ”OK / enough / done” |
Inshallah | ”If God wills”, used for any future tense, even casually |
Khoubz | Bread |
Atay | Tea |
See our full Darija phrasebook for the essentials with audio.
French, should you learn some?
If you’re spending more than 4 days in Morocco off the beaten path, basic French will dramatically improve your trip. Numbers, food vocabulary, basic directions. Duolingo for a week before you fly is enough to read menus and survive a train station.
The Dakaei app
Our app translates English ↔ Darija in real time, speaks phrases out loud, and has a souk bargaining coach. Honestly that’s the whole reason we exist, built by Moroccans who got tired of watching tourists fail at this.