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Module 10 · Moroccan culture and real conversations

Lesson 91 · Lower intermediate · 4 min

The tea ritual

Understanding Moroccan hospitality around tea: preparation, foam and glasses.

  • Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.

In this lesson

  • Understand how tea is prepared and served
  • Ask questions about a custom
  • Accept or decline a glass politely

Serving tea means welcoming someone. It’s poured from a height to make foam, and several glasses are usually offered.

No audio for this lesson yet

This lesson hasn’t been recorded yet, and we won’t fake it with a made-up voice. Read the dialogue out loud with the help of the transliteration key.

Dialogue

  1. Si BrahimGelsi, gelsi. Ghadi nwejjed atay.Sit down, sit down. I’ll make some tea.
  2. KlaraChokran. Kifach katwejjdouh?Thank you. How do you make it?
  3. Si BrahimAtay lkhder, na3na3 w sokkar. W kankhellih 3la l3afya chwiya.Green tea, mint and sugar. And I leave it on the heat for a while.
  4. Klara3lach katsebbouh mn l3ali?Why do you pour it from so high?
  5. Si BrahimBach ydir rrghwa. Atay bla rghwa machi atay!To make foam. Tea without foam isn’t tea!
  6. KlaraHhh! Wach khassni nchreb tlata d lkisan?Haha! Do I have to drink three glasses?
  7. Si BrahimHadi l3ada. Walakin ila ma bghitich, ma kayn mochkil.It’s the custom. But if you don’t want to, no problem.
  8. KlaraLa, bghit! Atay dyalkom bnin bzzaf.No, I do want to! Your tea is delicious.
How to read the transliteration

Darija is written here in Latin letters, the way many Moroccans text. A few symbols stand for sounds English, French and Swedish don't have:

3
a tight sound from the throat (Arabic ع)
7
a breathy h, stronger than English h (ح)
9
a k made deep in the throat (ق)
gh
like a French r (غ)
kh
like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach (خ)
ch
like English sh (ش)

Vocabulary

nwejjedنوجد
I prepare
atay lkhderأتاي الخضر
green tea
l3afyaالعافية
the heat, fire (for cooking)The same word also means “health”.
katsebbouكتصبو
you pour
mn l3aliمن العالي
from high up
rrghwaالرغوة
the foam
lkisanالكيسان
glasses
l3adaالعادة
the custom
lbrradالبراد
the teapot
ma bghitichما بغيتيش
you don’t want (to a woman)
bninبنين
delicious

Repeat after me

Read each phrase out loud, then cover it and say it from memory.

  • Chokran. Kifach katwejjdouh?

    شكرا. كيفاش كتوجدوه؟

    Thank you. How do you make it?

  • 3lach katsebbouh mn l3ali?

    علاش كتصبوه من العالي؟

    Why do you pour it from so high?

  • Bach ydir rrghwa. Atay bla rghwa machi atay!

    باش يدير الرغوة. أتاي بلا رغوة ماشي أتاي!

    To make foam. Tea without foam isn’t tea!

  • La, bghit! Atay dyalkom bnin bzzaf.

    لا، بغيت! أتاي ديالكم بنين بزاف.

    No, I do want to! Your tea is delicious.

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7Why is tea poured from a height?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blankAtay bla machi atay!Tea without foam isn’t tea!
  3. Question 3 of 7What do you do if you don’t want more tea?
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “lkisan” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “from high up” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 21Review (lesson 21): what does “l7sab” mean?

Your turn

Ask three questions about a custom you’re discovering: how, why, and whether it’s required.

Show an example answer

Kifach katwejjdou lkeskes? 3lach nhar jjem3a? Wach khassni nakol b lyed?

كيفاش كتوجدو الكسكس؟ علاش نهار الجمعة؟ واش خاصني ناكل باليد؟

How do you make couscous? Why on Fridays? Do I have to eat with my hand?

Summary

Atay lkhder, na3na3, sokkar, poured “mn l3ali” for “rrghwa”, several “kisan” by “l3ada” — and you may decline politely.

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