Skip to main content
DarijaGo
All lessons

Module 6 · Tourism and travel

Lesson 58 · Elementary · 4 min

A problem with the room

Reporting something broken, noise, and asking to change rooms.

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

In this lesson

  • Report a problem
  • Say something isn’t working
  • Ask to change rooms

Broken air conditioning, no hot water, street noise… Say it calmly: most hotels react quickly.

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. GuestSalam, 3ndi mochkil f lbit.Hello, I have a problem with my room.
  2. ReceptionistChno howa lmochkil?What’s the problem?
  3. GuestLklima ma khddamach, w ma kaynch lma skhoun.The air conditioning isn’t working and there’s no hot water.
  4. ReceptionistSme7 lina. Daba nsifto ttechnicien.We’re sorry. We’ll send the technician right away.
  5. GuestW kayn ssda3 bzzaf mn zzen9a.And there’s a lot of noise from the street.
  6. ReceptionistBghiti nbeddlo lik lbit? Kayn wa7d f lfo9, hani.Would you like us to change your room? There’s a quiet one upstairs.
  7. GuestIyyeh, 3afak. Hadik a7sen.Yes, please. That’d be better.
  8. ReceptionistHak ssarout jdid. W sme7 lina mra khra.Here’s the new key. And sorry again.
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

mochkilمشكل
a problem
lklimaالكليما
air conditioning
ma khddamch / ma khddamachما خدامش / ما خدامة
isn’t working (m. / f.)
lma skhounالما سخون
hot water
nsiftoنصيفطو
we send
ssda3الصداع
noise; headacheThe same word means noise and headache!
nbeddloنبدلو
we change
haniهاني
quiet, calm
a7senأحسن
better
jdidجديد
new
mra khraمرة خرى
again, once more

Repeat after me

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

  • Salam, 3ndi mochkil f lbit.

    السلام، عندي مشكل فالبيت.

    Hello, I have a problem with my room.

  • Lklima ma khddamach, w ma kaynch lma skhoun.

    الكليما ما خدامة، وما كاينش الما سخون.

    The air conditioning isn’t working and there’s no hot water.

  • W kayn ssda3 bzzaf mn zzen9a.

    وكاين الصداع بزاف من الزنقة.

    And there’s a lot of noise from the street.

  • Iyyeh, 3afak. Hadik a7sen.

    إيه، عافاك. هاديك أحسن.

    Yes, please. That’d be better.

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7What are the problems?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blankW kayn bzzaf mn zzen9a.And there’s a lot of noise from the street.
  3. Question 3 of 7What does the receptionist offer?
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “nbeddlo” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “a problem” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 49Review (lesson 49): what does “ma khddamach” mean?

Your turn

Report that the shower isn’t working and ask for another room.

Show an example answer

3ndi mochkil: douche ma khddamach. Wach n9der nbeddel lbit?

عندي مشكل: الدوش ما خدامش. واش نقدر نبدل البيت؟

I have a problem: the shower isn’t working. Can I change rooms?

Summary

“3ndi mochkil”, “… ma khddamch”, “ma kaynch lma skhoun”, “ssda3” and “wach n9der nbeddel lbit?”.

Finished?

Your progress is saved in this browser, on this device only. It is not synced to your other devices.

Review these lessons