Short answer: say salam o3alikom to greet anyone, labas? to ask how they are, and answer labas, l-7amdoulillah ("fine, thank God"). Say bslama when you leave. With those four expressions you can open and close almost every conversation in Morocco.
A Moroccan greeting is rarely a quick "hi". People ask about you, your health and your family before getting to the point, and they expect a short, warm answer. Below are the greetings you will hear every day, the replies people expect, and two short dialogues to practise.
The everyday greetings
| Darija | Arabic script | Meaning | Usual reply |
|---|---|---|---|
| salam o3alikom | السلام عليكم | Peace be upon you (hello) | wa3alikom s-salam |
| salam | سلام | Hi (informal) | salam |
| sbah l-khir | صباح الخير | Good morning | sbah l-khir |
| msa l-khir | مسا الخير | Good afternoon / good evening | msa l-khir |
| labas? | لاباس؟ | Are you well? / How are you? | labas, l-7amdoulillah |
| kif dayer? (to a man) | كيف داير؟ | How are you doing? | bikhir, l-7amdoulillah |
| kif dayra? (to a woman) | كيف دايرة؟ | How are you doing? | bikhir, l-7amdoulillah |
Salam o3alikom works with everyone, at any time of day: a shopkeeper, a taxi driver, an older neighbour, a room full of people. The reply wa3alikom s-salam simply returns the wish. Between friends, a plain salam is enough.
Labas literally means "no harm". As a question (labas?) it means "are you OK?"; as an answer (labas) it means "I'm fine". That is why you will often hear the two speakers say almost the same word to each other.
Kif dayer / kif dayra changes with the person you are talking to: dayer for a man, dayra for a woman, and dayrin for a group (kif dayrin?, "how are you all?").
How to answer (and ask back)
Moroccans almost always add l-7amdoulillah ("thanks be to God") to "I'm fine". It is part of the formula, used by everyone in daily speech, and the natural way to answer.
- Labas, l-7amdoulillah. — Fine, thank God.
- Bikhir, l-7amdoulillah. — Good, thank God.
- Labas, chokran. W nta? — Fine, thank you. And you? (to a man)
- Labas, chokran. W nti? — Fine, thank you. And you? (to a woman)
Then the questions usually continue: kolchi bikhir? ("is everything fine?"), and among people who know each other, questions about the family. A short positive answer is all that is expected each time.
Meeting someone for the first time
| Darija | Arabic script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| chnou smitek? | شنو سميتك؟ | What is your name? |
| smiti … | سميتي … | My name is … |
| mtcharfin | متشرفين | Nice to meet you |
| mer7ba bik | مرحبا بيك | Welcome |
Mtcharfin is answered with the same word. Mer7ba bik is what a host says when you arrive; you can answer chokran ("thank you").
Saying goodbye
- Bslama — Goodbye (the everyday word, at any time).
- Tsbe7 3la khir — Good night (said in the evening, when people go home or to bed).
- Llah y3awnek — "May God help you": a kind thing to say when you leave someone who is working, like a shopkeeper or a cleaner.
Two short dialogues
At a small shop in the morning
You: Salam o3alikom.
Shopkeeper: Wa3alikom s-salam. Labas?
You: Labas, l-7amdoulillah. W nta?
Shopkeeper: Labas, l-7amdoulillah. Mer7ba bik.
You: Chokran.
(… you buy something …)
You: Bslama, llah y3awnek.
Shopkeeper: Bslama.
Meeting a friend's sister
Friend: Hadi khti, Salma. (This is my sister, Salma.)
You: Salam, mtcharfin.
Salma: Mtcharfin. Kif dayer?
You: Bikhir, l-7amdoulillah. W nti?
Salma: Labas, chokran.
Small cultural details that help
- Greet everyone in a group the same way. If you shake one person's hand, do the same with the others.
- Handshakes, cheek kisses or a hand on the heart all exist, and habits vary by region and between men and women. If you are not sure, wait and follow the other person's lead; a hand on your heart with a smile is always polite.
- Don't rush. Skipping the greeting and going straight to "how much is this?" can feel abrupt. Ten seconds of salam and labas makes every exchange friendlier.
Practise out loud
Greetings only stick when you say them. Listen to native pronunciation in our free Darija audio lessons, and if you are curious why Moroccans don't greet you with the textbook Arabic you may have studied, read what Darija and Modern Standard Arabic each are for.
When you are ready to go further than hello, the Darija video course walks you from your first words to real conversations about numbers, prices, time and family.