How to say
How to Say No in Moroccan Arabic
Lla, lala, ma-bghitsh — saying no in Darija without causing offense.
20 words
15 phrases
واحد نص نص
Wahd noss noss
/WAH-d NOSS NOSS/
One half-half coffee
Un café moitié-moitié
The most popular coffee order in Morocco — half coffee, half steamed milk.
واحد قهوة كحلة
Wahd qhwa k7la
/WAH-d QH-wa KH-la/
One black coffee
Un café noir
شنو عندكم اليوم؟
Shno 3ndkum lyum?
/SHNO 3nd-KUM l-YUM/
What do you have today?
Qu'est-ce que vous avez aujourd'hui ?
لا شكراً، غير كنتفرّج
Lla shukran, ghir kantfrj
/lla shuk-RAN ghir kant-FRRJ/
No thanks, just looking
Non merci, je regarde
Essential for navigating souks without being pulled into every shop.
واش عرفت هاد العنوان؟
Wash 3rft had l 3unwan?
/wash 3rf-T had l-3UN-wan/
Do you know this address?
Vous connaissez cette adresse ?
واحد نصّ نصّ، عافاك
Wahd noss-noss, 3afak
/WAH-d NOSS NOSS 3a-FAK/
One half-half (coffee milk), please
Un moitié-moitié, svp
Noss-noss is Morocco's signature coffee drink — half espresso, half steamed milk.
واحد قهوة كحلة بلا سكّار
Wahd qhwa k7la bla sukkar
/WAH-d QH-wa K7-la bla suk-KAR/
Black coffee, no sugar
Café noir sans sucre
شنو سبيسياليتي ديال الدار؟
Shno specialite dyal ddar?
/sh-NO spi-sya-li-TI dyal D-DAR/
What's the house specialty?
Quelle est la spécialité maison ?
بلا حار، عافاك
Bla 7rr, 3afak
/bla 7RR 3a-FAK/
Not spicy, please
Pas piquant, svp
لا شكراً، شبعت!
Lla shukran, shb3t!
/lla shuk-RAN shb3-T/
No thanks, I'm full!
Non merci, je suis rassasié !
Literally: No thanks, I'm satisfied!
عافاك، جيب لينا الما
3afak, jib lina lma
/3a-FAK JIB LI-na l-MA/
Please bring us water
Apportez-nous de l'eau svp
الرحبة بيك/بيكم
Rr7ba bik/bikom
/r-R7BA BIK/
You're welcome (to our home/city)
Bienvenue chez nous
ماشي مشكيل
Ma shi mushkil
/ma SHI mush-KIL/
No problem
Pas de problème
Common response
Lla ykhllf
God repay you
بسم الله
Bissmillah
/bis-MIL-lah/
In the name of God (before eating/starting)
Au nom de Dieu
Said before eating, drinking, starting any task, entering a home. Universal.
راه كيغشي عليا
Rah kayghshi 3liya
/rah kay-GHSHI 3li-YA/
I'm about to faint
Je vais m'évanouir
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About this word in Darija
Lla, lala, ma-bghitsh — saying no in Darija without causing offense.
Darija (الدارجة) is Moroccan Arabic — the everyday spoken language of 40 million Moroccans. Unlike Modern Standard Arabic, it's rarely written down and draws heavily on French, Spanish, and Amazigh vocabulary. Learning how to say “no” the way Moroccans actually say it — with the right pronunciation, register, and cultural context — is the difference between sounding like a textbook and sounding like you belong.
Every entry on Everyday Darija includes Arabic script, romanized pronunciation, English and French translations, and cultural notes where they matter. Use the search above to explore related terms, or browse by category below.