Module 7 · Family and relationships
Lesson 70 · Lower intermediate · 4 min
Social etiquette
The right hand, mosques, greeting elders and Ramadan.
- Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.
In this lesson
- Know a few politeness rules
- Understand advice given as commands
- Behave respectfully during Ramadan
A few simple gestures show respect: eating with your right hand, greeting elders first, being discreet during Ramadan.
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
- EmmaOmar, wach kayn chi 7wayj ma khassnich ndirhom?Omar, are there things I shouldn’t do?
- OmarKouli w 3tii b lyed limna, machi b lisra.Eat and give with your right hand, not your left.
- EmmaW f jjame3?And at the mosque?
- OmarGhaliban ghir lmuslimin kaydkhlou, mn ghir jame3 l7assan ttani f Casa.Usually only Muslims go in, except at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.
- EmmaW mlli nsellem 3la chi wa7d kbir f sen?And when I greet an older person?
- OmarBdai nti b ssalam, w 9oulih « a l7aj » wla « a sidi ».Greet them first, and call them “a l7aj” or “a sidi”.
- EmmaW f Ramdan?And during Ramadan?
- OmarMa takliche w ma tchrbich f zzen9a 9oddam nnas, 7tiram.Don’t eat or drink in the street in front of people, out of respect.
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
- lyed limna / lisraاليد اليمنى / اليسرى
- right / left hand
- 3ti / 3tiiعطي / عطي
- give (to a man / to a woman)
- ma khassnichما خاصنيش
- I shouldn’t, I mustn’t
- lmusliminالمسلمين
- Muslims
- kbir f senكبير فالسن
- older, elderly
- a sidiآ سيدي
- sir (respectful)
- bda / bdaiبدا / بداي
- start (to a man / to a woman)
- Ramdanرمضان
- Ramadan
- 7tiramاحترام
- respect
- 9oddam nnasقدام الناس
- in front of people
- ma takolch / ma taklicheما تاكلش / ما تاكليش
- don’t eat (to a man / to a woman)
Repeat after me
Read each phrase out loud, then cover it and say it from memory.
Kouli w 3tii b lyed limna, machi b lisra.
كولي وعطي باليد اليمنى، ماشي باليسرى.
Eat and give with your right hand, not your left.
Ghaliban ghir lmuslimin kaydkhlou, mn ghir jame3 l7assan ttani f Casa.
غالبا غير المسلمين كيدخلو، من غير جامع الحسن التاني فكازا.
Usually only Muslims go in, except at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.
Bdai nti b ssalam, w 9oulih « a l7aj » wla « a sidi ».
بداي نتي بالسلام، وقوليه «آ الحاج» ولا «آ سيدي».
Greet them first, and call them “a l7aj” or “a sidi”.
Ma takliche w ma tchrbich f zzen9a 9oddam nnas, 7tiram.
ما تاكليش وما تشربيش فالزنقة قدام الناس، احتراما.
Don’t eat or drink in the street in front of people, out of respect.
Quiz
Your turn
Give a friend going to Morocco three etiquette tips, as commands.
Show an example answer
Kol b lyed limna. Bda b ssalam. Ma takolch f zzen9a f Ramdan.
كول باليد اليمنى. بدا بالسلام. ما تاكلش فالزنقة فرمضان.
Eat with your right hand. Greet first. Don’t eat in the street during Ramadan.
Summary
Right hand (“lyed limna”), greet elders first (“a l7aj”, “a sidi”), discretion during Ramadan — out of “7tiram”.
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