Please, Thank You, Yes and No in Darija: The Small Words That Matter

Short answer: in Moroccan Darija, "thank you" is chokran, "please" is 3afak, "you're welcome" is bla jmil, "yes" is iyeh and "no" is la. Add wakha ("OK") and sme7 li ("excuse me / sorry") and you have the small words that make every exchange in Morocco smoother.

These words are short, but Moroccans notice them. A 3afak at the end of a request or a chokran when you leave a shop changes the tone of the whole conversation. Below you will find each word, the polite replies that go with it, and short dialogues to practise.

The essentials at a glance

Thank you: chokran and its warmer versions

Chokran works everywhere: in a shop, a taxi, a café or at a friend's home. To make it stronger, add bezzaf ("a lot"): chokran bezzaf. You will also hear many Moroccans simply say merci, or mix the two: merci bezzaf. Both are normal in everyday speech.

Two longer expressions sound especially warm, because they wish something good to the other person:

• Llah y3tik s-se77a (الله يعطيك الصحة), literally "may God give you health". A kind way to thank someone who has done work for you: a waiter, a driver, someone who carried your bags.
• Llah ykhlef (الله يخلف), roughly "may God replace it for you". Said to the host after a meal, to thank them for the food. Over tea, the same courtesy applies: see Moroccan mint tea etiquette.

You're welcome: bla jmil

When someone thanks you, answer bla jmil. Jmil is a favour or a kindness, so bla jmil means something like "no favour owed": you are telling the other person they don't owe you anything.

When someone apologises to you (for bumping into you, for being late), the natural reply is ma-chi mouchkil, "no problem".

Please: 3afak

3afak is the Darija "please". It usually comes at the end of a request:

• 3tini wa7ed atay, 3afak. — Give me a tea, please.
• 3awed 3afak. — Say it again, please.
• B chwiya 3afak. — Slowly, please.

3afak is really a short blessing, close to "may God keep you well", which is why it sounds kind rather than formal. In Darija, a direct request like 3tini… ("give me…") is completely normal and not rude, as long as 3afak comes with it.

3afak also helps to get someone's attention politely before you ask a question: 3afak, fin kayn l-7ammam? ("Excuse me, where is the hammam?").

Yes, no and OK

Two combinations you will use every day:

• Iyeh, 3afak. — Yes, please.
• La, chokran. — No, thank you.

Wakha may be the most useful word in this article. Someone suggests a time, a price or a plan, and wakha means "OK, fine with me". With a question mark (wakha?) it asks "OK?" or "agreed?".

Safi is the word for "that's enough". When a shopkeeper keeps adding tomatoes to the bag, or a host keeps filling your plate, safi, chokran stops them kindly.

Excuse me and sorry: sme7 li

Sme7 li means both "excuse me" and "sorry". You use it to get past someone in a crowded medina alley, to get attention, or to apologise. It changes with the person you speak to:

• sme7 li — to a man
• sme7i li — to a woman
• sme7o li — to a group

The answer is usually ma-chi mouchkil ("no problem").

Saying no politely

Visitors in busy places like Marrakech's medina often hear aji, chouf! ("come, have a look!") from shop doorways. A calm la, chokran with a smile is the polite answer, and you can repeat it as many times as you need. There is no need to explain or to sound annoyed.

At someone's home, refusing more food is a small ritual. Your host will probably insist more than once. Put your hand on your heart and say safi, chokran, chb3t (صافي، شكرا، شبعت, "that's enough, thanks, I'm full"), then llah ykhlef.

Four short dialogues

At a café

You: Salam. 3afak, wa7ed atay. (Hi. A tea, please.)

Waiter: Wakha.

(… the tea arrives …)

You: Chokran.

Waiter: Bla jmil.

In the medina

Shopkeeper: Aji, chouf! (Come, have a look!)

You: La, chokran.

Shopkeeper: Ghir chouf! (Just look!)

You: La, chokran bezzaf. Bslama.

In a crowded alley

You: Sme7i li! (Sorry! — to a woman)

Woman: Ma-chi mouchkil.

At dinner with a Moroccan family

Host: Zid chwiya? (A little more?)

You: Safi, chokran, chb3t. Llah ykhlef.

Small details that make a big difference

• Match the person. Sme7 li to a man, sme7i li to a woman. Moroccans appreciate the effort even if you mix them up at first.
• Thank people who work for you. A chokran or llah y3tik s-se77a to a taxi driver, waiter or cleaner is noticed and appreciated.
• Polite words travel with greetings. Start with salam and labas, then ask with 3afak and leave with chokran. The full greeting routine is in our guide to Moroccan Darija greetings.
• In the souk, politeness is part of the deal. Chokran and wakha are the words that open and close a negotiation: see how to bargain in a Moroccan souk.

Quick practice

Say each answer out loud before you check it.

1. You want a coffee: "A coffee, please."
2. A shopkeeper offers you a bag. You don't need it.
3. You step on a man's foot on the bus.
4. Your host offers more couscous, but you are full.

Answers: 1. wa7ed l-9ahwa, 3afak. 2. la, chokran. 3. sme7 li! 4. safi, chokran, chb3t. Llah ykhlef.

Your next step

To get the sounds right (the 3 in 3afak and the 7 in sme7 li are new to most learners), listen to native speakers in our free Darija audio lessons. If you want these phrases in context, with the grammar that lets you build your own requests, our Moroccan Darija textbooks take you from the first chokran to real conversations.