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Module 5 · Transport and directions

Lesson 41 · Elementary · 4 min · 0:15 of audio

Taking a petit taxi

Hailing a taxi, giving your destination, asking for the meter, and paying.

  • Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.
  • Placeholder audio: a computer voice, not a native Darija speaker. Real recordings are coming.

Taking a petit taxi

In this lesson

  • Ask if a taxi is free
  • Give your destination and ask for the meter
  • Ask to stop and pay

Petits taxis (red in Marrakech, blue in Rabat…) work inside cities and should use the meter. Ask for it politely.

Dialogue

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

khawiخاوي
free, empty
finفين
where
ghadi / ghadyaغادي / غادية
going (man / woman)
tla3طلع
get in, go up
lkontorالكونطور
the meterFrom the French “compteur”. City petits taxis are supposed to use it.
ch3elشعل
turn on
w9efوقف
stop
hnaهنا
here
3echrinعشرين
twenty

Repeat after me

Play a phrase, then say it out loud during the pause.

  • Salam, wach khawi?

    Hi, are you free?

  • L Jam3 lFna, 3afak.

    To Jemaa el-Fna, please.

  • Ch3el lkontor, 3afak.

    Please turn on the meter.

  • W9ef hna, 3afak. Bchhal?

    Stop here, please. How much?

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 8How do you ask a driver if they’re free?
  2. Question 2 of 8What does “W9ef hna” mean?
  3. Question 3 of 8Why does the driver say “ghadi” and not “ghadya”?
  4. Question 4 of 8Fill in the blank lkontor, 3afak.Please turn on the meter.
  5. Question 5 of 8Match each expression with its meaning.
  6. Question 6 of 8What does “w9ef” mean?
  7. Question 7 of 8How do you say “going (man / woman)” in Darija?
  8. Question 8 of 8 · Review from lesson 7Review (lesson 7): what does “fin” mean?

Your turn

Stop a taxi, give your destination, ask for the meter and ask to stop.

Show an example answer

Wach khawi? … L lagar, 3afak. Ch3el lkontor. … W9ef hna.

واش خاوي؟ … للاگار، عافاك. شعل الكونطور. … وقف هنا.

Are you free? … To the station, please. Turn on the meter. … Stop here.

Summary

“Wach khawi?”, “l… 3afak”, “ch3el lkontor”, “w9ef hna” and “bchhal?”.

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