Learn Darija in 7 days · Day 5 of 7
Day 5: Eat and drink
Time to eat: get a table, order, ask for tea without sugar and pay the bill.
Today’s phrases
Underlined phrases have their own free page with more examples.
| English | Darija | Arabic script | Say it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A table for two, please | tabla l-juj 'afak | طابلة لجوج عافاك | TAB-la l-JOOJ AA-fak |
| The menu, please | l-menu 'afak | المنيو عافاك | l-me-NOO AA-fak |
| I would like ... | bghit ... | بغيت ... | BGHEET |
| Water | l-ma | الما | l-MA |
| Mint tea | atay b-n-ne'na' | أتاي بالنعناع | a-TAY b-ne-NAA |
| Without sugar | bla sukkar | بلا سكر | bla SOOK-kar |
| The bill, please | l-hsab 'afak | الحساب عافاك | l-HSAAB AA-fak |
| Delicious! | bnin! | بنين! | BNEEN |
Today’s pattern
Without, and the l- in front
- bghit ... covers both I would like ... and I want ...
- bla means without: bla sukkar (Without sugar) and bla l-har 'afak (Not spicy, please).
- l- at the start of a word often works like the: l-menu 'afak (The menu, please) and l-hsab 'afak (The bill, please). Food words in the list usually have it even where English has no the: l-ma (Water).
- Before some letters (such as t, d, s, sh, n, r, z) the l- turns into a copy of that letter: t-twalit (the toilet), s-sarut (the key).
In a real conversation
Ordering food
- Waitermerhba. ash bghiti?مرحبا. آش بغيتي؟Welcome. What would you like?
- Youtajin d-d-djaj w l-ma 'afak.طاجين د الدجاج والما عافاك.A chicken tagine and water, please.
- Waiterw shnu tsherb?وشنو تشرب؟And to drink?
- Youatay b-n-ne'na' bla sukkar.أتاي بالنعناع بلا سكر.Mint tea without sugar.
- Youbnin! l-hsab 'afak.بنين! الحساب عافاك.Delicious! The bill, please.
Good to know
- Mint tea is the national drink. Bread is sacred: never throw it away.
Quick quiz
Say the Darija out loud first, then tap the phrase to check.
Delicious!Show the Darija
bnin!
بنين!
Say it: BNEEN
The bill, pleaseShow the Darija
l-hsab 'afak
الحساب عافاك
Say it: l-HSAAB AA-fak
Without sugarShow the Darija
bla sukkar
بلا سكر
Say it: bla SOOK-kar
A table for two, pleaseShow the Darija
tabla l-juj 'afak
طابلة لجوج عافاك
Say it: TAB-la l-JOOJ AA-fak
WaterShow the Darija
l-ma
الما
Say it: l-MA
I would like ...Show the Darija
bghit ...
بغيت ...
Say it: BGHEET
The menu, pleaseShow the Darija
l-menu 'afak
المنيو عافاك
Say it: l-me-NOO AA-fak
Mint teaShow the Darija
atay b-n-ne'na'
أتاي بالنعناع
Say it: a-TAY b-ne-NAA
Free finder, flashcards or the book?
Free phrase finder
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- 20 free phrase pages with examples
- Latin letters, Arabic script and a “say it” guide
Darija Flashcards
$6, printable PDF
- 175 phrases on cards
- US Letter and A4
- Arabic script and the pronunciation guide on every card
Darija Pocket Phrasebook
$9.99, paperback on Amazon
- 305 phrases in 26 topics
- 6 real-life dialogues
- 131-word mini-dictionary
- Pronunciation guide, 5 x 8 in. pocket size
Take the phrases with you: the printable flashcards help you review, and the pocket phrasebook has every phrase in this course plus the six conversations.
Every phrase in this course comes from the word list of our Darija Pocket Phrasebook, which was checked in two separate passes: one for meaning, one for spelling.
How to read this page: in the "say it" guide, CAPITALS = stressed syllable. In the Darija spelling, ' = ع (a tight throat sound; just pause if you can't). Arabic script: spelling varies; this is common usage. (m) means said to a man, (f) means said to a woman.