Colors in Moroccan Arabic (Darija)
Bargaining for a rug, a kaftan or babouches? Knowing the colors in Darija is one of the most useful bits of vocabulary in the souks - and one of the easiest to learn.
The Colors
Colors in Darija agree with gender: use the first form with masculine words, the second with feminine ones.
| In English | In Moroccan Arabic | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White | Byed / Beyda | Like the white of Casablanca - "Dar Beida" in Arabic |
| Black | K7el / Ke7la | The 7 is a breathy H sound |
| Red | 7mer / 7emra | Marrakesh is "the red city" - lmdina l7emra |
| Blue | Zreq / Zerqa | Think of the blue streets of Chefchaouen |
| Green | Khder / Khedra | The color of mint tea leaves |
| Yellow | Sfer / Sefra | |
| Brown | Qehwi | Literally "coffee-colored" |
| Grey | Rmadi | From "rmad", ashes |
| Pink | Wardi | From "warda", rose |
| Orange | Limouni | From "limoun", the orange fruit |
| Purple | 7ammoqi | |
| Golden / Silver | Dhebi / Feddi | From dheb (gold) and fedda (silver) |
Using Colors in the Souk
| In English | In Moroccan Arabic |
|---|---|
| I want the red one (a carpet) | Bghit hadik l7emra |
| Do you have it in blue? | Wach 3endek zreq? |
| I prefer the green one | Kanfeddel lkhder |
| What a beautiful color! | Loun zwin! |
"Loun" means color, and its plural is "lwan". If you plan to buy a Berber carpet, colors carry meaning: deep red for the Middle Atlas weavings, saffron yellow from the Souss, indigo blue in the south.
Keep learning: everyday phrases (with audio), numbers for bargaining, fruits and days and months in Darija.
Related articles : Language
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