Lesson 51 · Elementary · 4 min
Booking a room by phone
Booking a room: dates, number of people, price and amenities.
- Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.
In this lesson
- Book for a number of people and nights
- Ask what’s included
- Give your name and arrival time
Many riads are still booked by phone or message. Have your dates and number of nights ready.
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
- ReceptionistAllo, riad Yasmine, mr7ba.Hello, Riad Yasmine, welcome.
- GuestSalam, bghit n7jez wa7d lbit l jouj d nnas.Hello, I’d like to book a room for two people.
- ReceptionistMn nhar ach 7ta l nhar ach?From which day to which day?
- GuestMn lkhmis 7ta l7ed. Tlt lyali.From Thursday to Sunday. Three nights.
- Receptionist3ndna bit b frach kbir. Ttaman: sb3mya l lila, b lftour.We have a room with a double bed. The price is seven hundred a night, with breakfast.
- GuestWach fiha douche w lklima?Does it have a shower and air conditioning?
- ReceptionistIyyeh. Chno smitek, 3afak?Yes. Your name, please?
- GuestClaire Martin. Ghadi nwslo m3a l3achra d lil.Claire Martin. We’ll arrive around ten at night.
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
- n7jezنحجز
- I book
- lbitالبيت
- the room
- jouj d nnasجوج د الناس
- two people
- mn … 7ta …من … حتى …
- from … to / until …
- lila / lyaliليلة / ليالي
- a night / nights
- frach kbirفراش كبير
- a double bed
- ttamanالتمن
- the price
- b lftourبالفطور
- with breakfast
- doucheالدوش
- shower
- lklimaالكليما
- air conditioning
- nwsloنوصلو
- we arrive
- d lilدالليل
- at night
Repeat after me
Read each phrase out loud, then cover it and say it from memory.
Salam, bghit n7jez wa7d lbit l jouj d nnas.
السلام، بغيت نحجز واحد البيت لجوج د الناس.
Hello, I’d like to book a room for two people.
Mn lkhmis 7ta l7ed. Tlt lyali.
من الخميس حتى الحد. تلت ليالي.
From Thursday to Sunday. Three nights.
Wach fiha douche w lklima?
واش فيها الدوش والكليما؟
Does it have a shower and air conditioning?
Claire Martin. Ghadi nwslo m3a l3achra d lil.
كلير مارتان. غادي نوصلو مع العشرة دالليل.
Claire Martin. We’ll arrive around ten at night.
Quiz
Your turn
Book a room for one person, two nights, and ask if breakfast is included.
Show an example answer
Bghit n7jez bit l wa7d, juj lyali. Wach lftour dakhel?
بغيت نحجز بيت لواحد، جوج ليالي. واش الفطور داخل؟
I’d like to book a room for one, two nights. Is breakfast included?
Summary
“Bghit n7jez…”, “mn … 7ta …”, “lila / lyali”, “b lftour” and “ghadi nwsel m3a…”.
Finished?
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