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Module 4 · Shopping and money

Lesson 37 · Elementary · 4 min

Ghir kantfrrej: in the spice souk

Browsing without buying, discovering spices and leaving politely.

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

In this lesson

  • Say you’re just looking
  • Name a few spices
  • Leave politely without buying

In the souk, sellers will invite you in. “Ghir kantfrrej” (I’m just looking) lets you browse in peace.

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. StallholderTfeddli a lalla, chouf b lbatel!Come in, madam, looking is free!
  2. CustomerChokran, ghir kantfrrej.Thanks, I’m just looking.
  3. StallholderHadi lkamoun, hadi lkharqoum, w hada ras l7anout.This is cumin, this is turmeric and this is ras el hanout.
  4. CustomerChno howa ras l7anout?What is ras el hanout?
  5. StallholderKhlit dyal bzzaf d l3tria, l ttajine.A blend of lots of spices, for tajine.
  6. CustomerChemmemni chwiya.Let me smell it.
  7. StallholderHak, chemmi. Rbe3 kilo b khamsin dirham.Here, smell. A quarter kilo for fifty dirhams.
  8. CustomerRi7to zwina. Ghadi nfekker w nrje3.It smells lovely. I’ll think about it and come back.
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

ghir kantfrrejغير كنتفرج
I’m just looking
chouf b lbatelشوف بالباطل
look, it’s free
l3triaالعطرية
spices
lkamounالكامون
cumin
lkharqoumالخرقوم
turmeric
ras l7anoutراس الحانوت
ras el hanout (spice blend)Literally “head of the shop”: the best the seller has.
khlitخليط
a blend, mix
chemmشم
to smell
nfekkerنفكر
I’ll think (about it)
nrje3نرجع
I’ll come back
skinjbirالسكنجبير
ginger

Repeat after me

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

  • Chokran, ghir kantfrrej.

    شكرا، غير كنتفرج.

    Thanks, I’m just looking.

  • Chno howa ras l7anout?

    شنو هو راس الحانوت؟

    What is ras el hanout?

  • Chemmemni chwiya.

    شممني شوية.

    Let me smell it.

  • Ri7to zwina. Ghadi nfekker w nrje3.

    ريحتو زوينة. غادي نفكر ونرجع.

    It smells lovely. I’ll think about it and come back.

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7What does the customer decide at the end?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blankChokran, ghir .Thanks, I’m just looking.
  3. Question 3 of 7How do you leave politely without buying?
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “ghir kantfrrej” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “I’ll think (about it)” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 31Review (lesson 31): what does “lmaticha” mean?

Your turn

A seller invites you in: say you’re just looking, ask what a spice is and leave politely.

Show an example answer

Chokran, ghir kantfrrej. Chno hada? … Ghadi nfekker w nrje3.

شكرا، غير كنتفرج. شنو هادا؟ … غادي نفكر ونرجع.

Thanks, I’m just looking. What’s this? … I’ll think about it and come back.

Summary

“Ghir kantfrrej”, “chno howa…?”, lkamoun, lkharqoum, ras l7anout, and “ghadi nfekker w nrje3” to leave.

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