Module 10 · Moroccan culture and real conversations
Lesson 98 · Lower intermediate · 4 min
At the hammam: a longer conversation
Everything to know before your first hammam: what to bring, how it works, how much to pay.
- Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.
In this lesson
- Follow a twelve-line conversation
- Understand multi-step instructions
- Know hammam vocabulary
The public hammam is an institution: people wash, relax and meet there. This longer conversation reuses many words you already know.
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
- LukasHind, bghit nmchi l l7mmam, walakin ma 3reftch kifach.Hind, I want to go to the hammam, but I don’t know how it works.
- HindSahel! L7mmam fih juj d jjihat: wa7da l rrjal w wa7da l l3yalat.Easy! The hammam has two sides: one for men and one for women.
- LukasW chno khassni njib m3aya?And what do I need to bring?
- HindSabon beldi, lkis, chi fouta w chlakat.Black soap, a kis, a towel and flip-flops.
- LukasChno howa lkis?What’s a kis?
- HindGant khchin bach t7iyyed lmouskh mn ljeld.A rough glove to scrub dead skin off.
- LukasW chkoun kaydir lkis? Ana?And who does the scrub? Me?
- HindIla bghiti, kayn lkiyyas, howa lli kaydirhom. Khellsou chi khamsin dirham.If you like, there’s a kiyyas, he does it. Pay him around fifty dirhams.
- LukasW chhal kandouz tmma?And how long do I stay?
- HindChi sa3a. Bda b lbit lbared, men b3d lbit ssekhoun.About an hour. Start in the cool room, then the hot room.
- LukasW men b3d?And after that?
- HindMen b3d, atay w n3sa mzyana. W f lkhrouj, ghadi y9oulou lik « bssa7tek »!Then tea and a good nap. And when you come out, people will say “bssa7tek” to you!
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
- l7mmamالحمام
- the hammam (public bath)
- sahelساهل
- easy
- rrjal / l3yalatالرجال / العيالات
- men / women
- sabon beldiصابون بلدي
- black soap
- lkisالكيس
- the scrubbing glove
- foutaفوطة
- a towel
- chlakatشلاكات
- flip-flops
- lkiyyasالكياس
- the scrub attendant
- kandouzكندوز
- I spend (time)
- lbit lbared / ssekhounالبيت البارد / السخون
- the cool / hot room
- bssa7tekبصحتك
- said after a bath or haircut (enjoy it)
- ljeldالجلد
- skin
Repeat after me
Read each phrase out loud, then cover it and say it from memory.
Sahel! L7mmam fih juj d jjihat: wa7da l rrjal w wa7da l l3yalat.
ساهل! الحمام فيه جوج د الجيهات: وحدة للرجال ووحدة للعيالات.
Easy! The hammam has two sides: one for men and one for women.
Sabon beldi, lkis, chi fouta w chlakat.
صابون بلدي، الكيس، شي فوطة وشلاكات.
Black soap, a kis, a towel and flip-flops.
Gant khchin bach t7iyyed lmouskh mn ljeld.
گانت خشين باش تحيد الموسخ من الجلد.
A rough glove to scrub dead skin off.
Chi sa3a. Bda b lbit lbared, men b3d lbit ssekhoun.
شي ساعة. بدا بالبيت البارد، من بعد البيت السخون.
About an hour. Start in the cool room, then the hot room.
Quiz
Your turn
Explain to a friend, in four steps, how a hammam visit works.
Show an example answer
Jib sabon w lkis. Bda b lbit lbared. Men b3d ssekhoun. W f lakher, atay!
جيب صابون والكيس. بدا بالبيت البارد. من بعد السخون. وفاللخر، أتاي!
Bring soap and a kis. Start in the cool room. Then the hot one. And at the end, tea!
Summary
Sabon beldi, lkis, fouta, chlakat; the cool room then the hot; lkiyyas; and “bssa7tek” when you come out.
Finished?
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