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Darija for everyday situations

Moroccan Darija at cafés and restaurants: how to order food

How to order food and drinks in Darija: Moroccan café conversation, restaurant phrases, mint tea and nus-nus, dietary needs and asking for the bill, with script and pronunciation.

Short answer

To order in Darija, say bghit… 3afak (I’d like…, please): bghit wa7d atay b n3na3 (a mint tea) or wa7d nus-nus (a half-coffee, half-milk). Ask for the bill with l-7sab, 3afak, and compliment the food with bnin (delicious). Bssa7a (to your health) is what people say to someone eating or drinking.

Short dialogue: ordering at a café

You sit down at a neighbourhood café for breakfast.

SpeakerDarijaEnglish
WaiterMrehba, ash bghiti?مرحبا، أش بغيتي؟Welcome, what would you like?
YouBghit wa7d atay b n3na3, 3afak, w wa7d nus-nus.بغيت واحد أتاي بالنعناع عفاك، وواحد نص نص.I’d like a mint tea, please, and a half-half (coffee with milk).
WaiterWash bghiti shi 7aja takulha?واش بغيتي شي حاجة تاكلها؟Would you like something to eat?
YouAh, wa7d l-msemmen b l-3sel.آه، واحد المسمن بالعسل.Yes, a msemmen (layered flatbread) with honey.
WaiterBssa7a.بالصحة.Enjoy (to your health).
YouL-7sab, 3afak.الحساب عفاك.The bill, please.
WaiterHani jay.هاني جاي.I’m coming.

Key café and restaurant vocabulary

Darija has no single official Latin spelling. Here, 3 stands for ع (a tight sound from the throat), 7 for ح (a breathy h), gh for غ (like a French r), kh for خ (like Scottish loch) and q for ق (a k pronounced further back). Pronunciation varies by city and speaker.

EnglishDarija
Waterl-ma — الما
Without sugar / a little sugarbla sukkar / shwiya d s-sukkar — بلا سكر / شوية د السكر
Is there a table for two?wash kayna shi tabla l-jouj? — واش كاينة شي طابلة لجوج؟
What do you have today?shnu kayn l-yum? — شنو كاين اليوم؟
I don’t eat meatma kanakulsh l-l7em — ما كناكلش اللحم
Is it spicy?wash fih l-7arr? — واش فيه الحار؟
Deliciousbnin — بنين
Enough, I’m fullsafi, shb3t — صافي، شبعت

Pronunciation notes

  • N3na3 (mint) has two ع sounds: “n-3NA-3”. Practise it slowly; it is a favourite word for teachers to correct.
  • In l-7sab (the bill) the 7 is a breathy h from the throat, not a rough kh.
  • Bghit (I want / I’d like) starts with gh, like a soft French r: “bgheet”. Adding 3afak keeps it polite.
  • Nus-nus is said quickly as one word, with a short u as in “put”.

Café culture and polite ordering

Mint tea is often served already sweetened, so ask for bla sukkar or shwiya d s-sukkar when you order, not after it arrives. Nus-nus is a typical Moroccan café order. Breakfasts often include breads such as msemmen and baghrir with honey, oil or cheese.

Bghit… 3afak is polite and normal with waiters. Saying bssa7a to someone who is eating, and answering l-lah y3tik s-se77a (God give you health) to staff who serve you, are small habits that sound natural.

Your next step

Practise ordering, numbers and dietary needs with a teacher before eating out. Lisanova Academy teaches Moroccan Darija online from Morocco, in private 60-minute video lessons with Moroccan teachers who can role-play this situation with you and correct your pronunciation live. The first trial lesson is free; one private hour is $20, and private packages are 8 hours $120, 12 hours $170 and 16 hours $200. Darija group classes are 2 one-hour classes per week, maximum 4 learners, $50 per month.

Lessons can be explained in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic, depending on the teacher; not every teacher speaks every one of these languages.

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See also Modern Standard Arabic lessons, Moroccan Arabic lessons, group Darija classes and pricing.

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