The Ultimate Guide to Learning Arabic

Morocco has two official languages: Modern Standard Arabic and Amazigh. French is also an extremely useful trade language, due to the colonial history of Morocco. Moroccan society is very multilingual:

91% of Moroccans speak Moroccan Arabic (Darija)

33% of Moroccans speak French

26% of Moroccans speak Amazigh

21% of Moroccans speak Spanish

14% of Moroccans speak English

1% of Moroccans speak Hassaniya Arabic

In our experience, Moroccans learn languages with ease, and Moroccans who understand multiple languages will alternate between these languages quickly and without notice.

In order to interact with Moroccans from all levels of society, Moroccan Arabic (Darija) is the most helpful language. For some people, it may be sufficient to only know French, especially for those who live in Casablanca or Rabat. For those who work in higher education or interact with people who have a high level of education, Modern Standard Arabic (Fossha) will be used most often. Additionally, for those who live in more rural areas, it may be more beneficial to study the Amazigh dialect of that region.

The local dialect of Arabic in Morocco is called Darija (الدارجة), which means “everyday, colloquial language.” Each country where Arabic is the primary language has developed its own local language. Arabs often refer to this local language as a “dialect” of Arabic, but Moroccan Arabic is a mixture of numerous different languages and was especially influenced by Amazigh/Berber. Modern Standard Arabic (MSA/Fossha), which is the international Arabic language, is used in writing and in official communication, but often feels somewhat artificial, or stuffy, because people don’t actually speak MSA. Because the Arabic language is so closely connected to religion, the language has not been able to freely develop the way other languages do; however, the Darija of each country is the language of the people that changes and adapts over time.

Arabic dialects live, change, and evolve, and can be properly understood as a continuum of Arabic. Speakers of Darija with geographic proximity will tend to understand each other, whereas Arabic speakers from distant places will have a harder time understanding each other. As a result, speakers of Moroccan Arabic will often not be understood by Arabic speakers from the East. Interestingly, Moroccans will understand Arabic from the Middle East (these dialects being closer to Classical Arabic), and because countries like Egypt have a great reach in the Arab world through movies and music. It has been estimated that Moroccan Darija shares over 70-75% of its vocabulary with Fossha, and is, therefore, a good starting point to learn any type of Arabic.

Moroccan Darija is not 100% Arabic because it contains a mixture of words taken from Modern Standard Arabic, Amazigh/Berber language, French, and to a lesser extent words from Spanish and English. Moroccan Darija speakers frequently borrow words from French and Spanish (in northern Morocco) and conjugate them according to the rules of the dialect, which makes for some interesting-sounding words. Additionally, it continues to evolve by integrating new French or English words, especially in technical fields. 

Learning Modern Standard Arabic (Fossha) is worthwhile for those who wish to live, work, or interact in the Arabic-speaking world. Knowing Fossha is necessary for the purpose of taking in information, such as reading signs and documents, and listening to the news and other media. If your goal is to work in media, diplomacy, interpretation, or to have the broadest Arabic opportunities available, then Modern Standard Arabic will be the best route for you.

TL:DR The answer to this question depends on your goal for studying a language. A local dialect of Arabic, such as Moroccan Darija, is useful for communicating in everyday life. Modern Standard Arabic is a literary language used in official settings and media. However, Darija is a useful starting point to continue Arabic studies.

Because most Arabic-speaking countries also use a dialect of Arabic, it makes sense to ask yourself if it is better to learn an Arabic dialect or to study Modern Standard Arabic. MSA is helpful in numerous ways. First, to engage with any written Arabic communication, it is necessary to know MSA. This is true with documents, books, and signs. Second, to take in information in an Arabic-speaking country through listening to the news as well as other media, MSA is required. For daily life, and for anyone who has a serious interest in history and culture in the Arab world, engaging through standardized, literary Arabic will be required. Additionally, even in Morocco, people will often mix a great deal of Fossha into their speech with foreigners, and so studying MSA will open up further doors for communication. 

For those living in Morocco or another Arabic-speaking country, students of an Arabic dialect may find it helpful to continue or complement their studies with Fossha. At a certain level of advanced Darija, much of the vocabulary is directly from MSA, particularly when discussing politics, religion, education, or other topics.

Modern Standard Arabic is the version of Arabic that is standardized and universally understood by those literate in Arabic. "Western scholars make a distinction between ‘Classical Arabic’ and ‘Modern Standard Arabic,’ while speakers of Arabic generally do not consider CA and MSA to be different languages.” The Western definition of Classical Arabic, then, is that it is the literary form of Arabic used from the seventh century and throughout the Middle Ages, and is the liturgical language of Islam since the Quran is also written in Classical Arabic. Modern Standard Arabic is the direct descendent of Classical Arabic. So then, what is Fossha? Fossha (الفصحى) in Arabic means “The Eloquent” and is used to describe BOTH Classical and Modern Standard Arabic. 

Arabic is usually considered one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn, especially for native-English (or other Romance language) speakers. However, this doesn’t mean that it is impossible to learn Arabic! Moroccan Arabic is easier to learn than Modern Standard Arabic because the vocabulary and grammar have been greatly simplified for ease of communication.

Pronunciation is a major area of difficulty when learning Arabic. The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, and their pronunciation is definitely different than the letters known from Romance languages. Arabic sounds come from the mouth and throat, and there are around seven sounds that don’t exist in English at all.

Learning the Arabic alphabet may seem complex at first, but with enough practice, it becomes natural. The first thing that is different is that Arabic is read from left to right. Arabic is also always written in cursive, never in individual “printed” characters. The letters are always attached on the left or the right or on both sides, taking a different form according to their position. This means that letters actually change shape based on whether they’re in the beginning, the middle, or the end of a word. This feature of the language can be difficult at first but comes with practice.

When it comes to grammar, verb conjugation takes into account not only whether the subject is singular or plural, but also the gender; the conjugation is different when talking to/about a man than for a woman.

Moroccan Arabic may not be easy to learn, but when you find a method that works for you and dedicate yourself to studying, you can learn it.

Since Moroccan Arabic is essentially a spoken language, the emphasis is on speaking. However, we believe that learning the Arabic alphabet is very helpful. It may seem to slow you down in the beginning, but it will help you later. Phonetics is only a limited aid that cannot do the job as well as the Arabic alphabet.

Knowing the Arabic Alphabet:

-Helps with pronunciation

-Helps you see the links between words that are based on the same root

-Allows you to read and understand written texts, even if they are in Modern Standard Arabic

-Opens up many other resources that would otherwise remain inaccessible to you

How long it takes someone to learn Arabic will depend on a number of factors. If someone is immersed and able to practice often in everyday life, then progress will likely be faster. If someone has the ability to focus on language learning, committing at least fifteen hours per week to studies (in class, homework, and practice), then progress will likely be swift. In order to study Moroccan Arabic and speak it confidently, students should plan on spending a year or two in language learning, or even longer if they are able. For Modern Standard Arabic, it takes at least a year of intensive study before someone can likely pick up a newspaper and read it with confidence.

Learning Arabic is possible, and people need to find an approach that works for them. For most people who are used to traditional language learning methods that focus on reading and writing in addition to speaking and listening, a communicative approach that focuses on combining the core learning styles (auditory, visual, reading and writing) will yield results for everyone.

Because Arabic dialects are not literary languages, they are not often written down, leading many to believe that language learners only need to practice speaking and listening. However, we believe in a communicative approach that combines speaking, listening, reading, writing, and cultural understanding, where students begin speaking from the very first day. This works for people to effectively learn Arabic, regardless of whether their learning style is visual, auditory, or reading and writing.

Our experienced teachers take you through not only the rules of the language (grammar, structure, syntax) but also communicative habits (e.g. how to greet someone). We combine our structured in-class learning with written materials, audio recordings, and printed and electronic flashcards so that you can learn in the way that works for you. With flexible scheduling available, we will help you develop your Darija communication abilities as well as Moroccan cultural awareness.