Short answer: greet the seller, ask b ch7al hada? ("how much is this?"), answer the first price with ghali bezzaf ("that's too expensive"), then make your own offer with n3tik… ("I'll give you…"). If you can't agree, say chokran and start to walk away; if you can, close with wakha, tfahemna ("OK, deal"). Bargaining in Darija is less about winning and more about showing that you know how the conversation works.
Before you start: where and how Moroccans bargain
Bargaining is normal for crafts and souvenirs in the souk: carpets, leather, slippers, lamps, pottery. It is not done in supermarkets, pharmacies, cafés or shops with marked prices. At the fruit and vegetable market, prices are usually small and close to fixed; there you are more likely to ask for a little extra than for a discount.
Three habits make everything easier:
- Greet first. A salam o3alikom before the price question changes the tone. If you need a refresher, here are the Darija greetings Moroccans expect.
- Know your price before you ask. Decide what the item is worth to you, so the seller's first number doesn't anchor you.
- Only make an offer you would pay. If the seller accepts your price, you are expected to buy.
The anthropologist Clifford Geertz, who studied the bazaar of Sefrou near Fes, described bargaining there as a way of gathering information between buyer and seller, not just a fight over money. He noticed that people negotiate quantity and quality as much as price, and that much of the haggling happens in small steps. That is still a useful way to see it: you are exploring the deal together.
The phrases, step by step
1. Browsing
| Darija | Arabic script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ghir kan-chouf, chokran | غير كانشوف، شكرا | I'm just looking, thanks |
| b ch7al hada? | بشحال هادا؟ | How much is this? (masculine thing) |
| b ch7al hadi? | بشحال هادي؟ | How much is this? (feminine thing) |
| derhem wla ryal? | درهم ولا ريال؟ | Dirhams or riyals? |
Prices in the souk are normally given in dirhams, but at the market you may hear riyals (1 dirham = 20 riyals). If the numbers still go by too fast, practise them first with our guide to Darija numbers and prices.
2. Reacting to the first price
| Darija | Arabic script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ghali bezzaf | غالي بزاف | That's too expensive |
| bezzaf 3liya | بزاف عليا | That's too much for me |
| n9es chwiya 3afak | نقص شوية عافاك | Bring it down a little, please |
| ma-3endi-ch bezzaf d l-flous | ماعنديش بزاف د الفلوس | I don't have much money |
| ana saken hna / ana sakna hna | أنا ساكن هنا / أنا ساكنة هنا | I live here (man / woman) |
Say ghali bezzaf with a smile, not with anger. It is an expected move, not an insult.
3. Making an offer
| Darija | Arabic script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| n3tik mya w khamsin | نعطيك مية وخمسين | I'll give you 150 |
| akhir taman? | آخر تمن؟ | (What's your) last price? |
| ila khdit jouj? | إلا خديت جوج؟ | And if I take two? |
| zid liya wa7ed | زيد ليا واحد | Add one more for me |
The seller will often turn the question around: ch7al ghadi t3tini? ("how much will you give me?"). Answer with a number, n3tik…, not with "I don't know".
The last two lines follow Geertz's point: when the price won't move, the quantity can. Buying two, or asking for one extra at the market, is often easier than another discount.
4. Walking away politely
| Darija | Arabic script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| la, chokran | لا، شكرا | No, thank you |
| ghadi n-dour w n-rje3 | غادي ندور ونرجع | I'll look around and come back |
| lah ysahel | الله يسهل | "May God make it easy": a polite "no deal" |
You will hear lah ysahel from the seller when your offer is too low. It closes the conversation kindly; it is not rude. Saying chokran and stepping away is often the moment the seller calls you back with aji, aji! ("come, come!").
5. Closing the deal
| Darija | Arabic script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| wakha, tfahemna | واخا، تفاهمنا | OK, we have a deal |
| safi | صافي | That's it / done |
| ha l-flous | ها الفلوس | Here's the money |
| bse77tek | بصحتك | Enjoy it (what the seller says) |
| lah ybarek fik | الله يبارك فيك | God bless you (a warm thank-you) |
Two more words you will meet: fabor فابور means "free, no charge", and rkhis رخيص means "cheap".
A real souk dialogue
You want a pair of belgha بلغة, the traditional leather slippers.
You: Salam o3alikom.
Seller: O3alikom salam, mrehba! (Welcome!)
You: B ch7al had l-belgha? (How much are these slippers?)
Seller: Mitin w khamsin derhem. (250 dirhams.)
You: Ghali bezzaf. N3tik mya w khamsin. (Too expensive. I'll give you 150.)
Seller: La, l-jeld mezyan. (No, the leather is good.) Ch7al ghadi t3tini?
You: Mya w tmanin. Akhir taman. (180. Last price.)
Seller: Lah ysahel. (No deal.)
You: Wakha, chokran. (OK, thanks.) (You start to leave.)
Seller: Aji, aji! Mitin, safi. (Come, come! 200, final.)
You: Wakha, tfahemna. Ha l-flous. (OK, deal. Here's the money.)
Seller: Bse77tek! (Enjoy them!)
You: Lah ybarek fik.
Both sides moved, both sides are happy, and the whole thing took two minutes. Notice that you never argued: you reacted, offered, stepped back and agreed.
Quick tips that make the Darija work
- Use a friendly address. Moroccans often call a seller khouya ("my brother") or a woman khti ("my sister"); a master craftsman is a l-m3allem.
- Keep numbers simple. Round offers (150, 180, 200) are easier to say and to hear.
- Count your change in the same unit. If the price was in riyals, convert before you pay.
- Know when to stop. If the price already feels fair to you, paying it is fine. A small difference matters more to the seller than to you.
Practise
Say these in Darija:
- "How much is this?" (feminine thing)
- "That's too expensive. I'll give you 200."
- "And if I take two?"
- "OK, we have a deal."
Answers: 1. b ch7al hadi? 2. ghali bezzaf, n3tik mitin. 3. ila khdit jouj? 4. wakha, tfahemna.
Phrases stick when you hear them spoken, so listen to the free Darija audio lessons before your trip. And because bargaining is a live conversation, the fastest way to get comfortable is to rehearse it: practise Darija with a tutor who plays the seller until the replies come naturally.