People often get confused about which languages to use while visiting Morocco.
Should they speak in French? Should they be conversing in English? Or do the
Moroccans communicate in Arabic?
The reality is that this land of rich traditions and cultural heritage is a linguistically diverse country, with deep influences of many different languages from across the world.
Although local dialects, vocabulary, and pronunciations may vary from region to Darija, Moroccan Arabic, Standard Arabic, Spanish, French, Amazighiya, English, and many different forms of Berber languages are used here.
For a visitor, traveling to Morocco, it is important to know that among all these only 3 languages are regarded as the official mediums of speech and communication.
1. Darjia
This is an amalgamation of different forms of Arabic vocabulary, dialects, and pronunciations that evolved over several years in history. The traditional Moroccan Arabic is spoken in a significantly different way as compared to the Arabic spoken in other countries. It is commonly used in the local communities for conversing while standard Arabic is used by government personnel and offices.
2. Berber
Berber is the second official language of Morocco and has a combination of various linguistic influences from Darjia, Spanish and French.
This language is not just exclusive to Morocco but is also spoken in many North African Countries like Tunisia, Mali, Algeria, and Libya.
Like Darjia, Berber too is used with many variations in dialect and other parts of speech in different regions of Morocco.
3. French
The third official language of Morocco is French. Like Darjia, it is also widely used for official and governmental communications and is even taught as a primary subject in schools.
French is also known as the “language of business”. For centuries, France and Morocco have been involved in mutual trade practices and this is how the French language came to this part of the world with its businessmen and traders.
The popular European language is easily comprehended by most of the Moroccans. However, many may not possess the fluency of speaking it. This is especially true for the Northern areas where Spanish is more dominant because of its geographic closeness with Spain.
Other Languages of Prominence
If you have visited Morocco or plan to visit any time soon, you will find it interesting that people here speak in a multi-linguistic dialect combining words of different languages and origins.
Sometimes you may find words or phrases from French or Spanish in a local Berber conversation. There might be some Moroccans speaking English as well, but these are few and far in between.
English is now gaining popularity in the young Moroccan generation and is also taught as a language in some schools and dedicated academies.
Which Languages Should You Use While Visiting Morocco?
For those coming from the European region, you can use basic French or Spanish as a mode of communication with the locals. In major cities like Casablanca and Rabat, even the road signs, menus, and other tourist information boards are in French.
While those of you, who are traveling from Africa, you can take advantage of your Berber speaking skills. Arabs and Middle Eastern visitors can continue their Arabic dialects with a little variation.
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