Counting in Darija: numbers 1-100 and how to use them

Morocco's number system is a perfect example of how Darija works: take the useful parts from multiple languages and mash them together. Arabic numbers for small quantities. French numbers for everything else. Sometimes Berber numbers if you're in the right region. It sounds chaotic, but it's actually brilliantly practical — Moroccans pick whichever system is fastest for the situation and everyone understands.

If you speak French, you already know half the system. If you don't, the Arabic numbers 1-10 are all you strictly need because Moroccans will understand French numbers from anyone. But learning the full system — including how to say prices, phone numbers, and times — will transform your daily interactions. Numbers come up constantly: at the souk, in taxis, ordering food, checking into hotels, reading addresses, and making phone calls.

This guide covers everything: counting from 1 to thousands, ordinal numbers, how to say prices and phone numbers, telling time and dates, and real dialogues where you'll use all of it. By the end, you'll be able to handle any number situation Morocco throws at you.

1-10 in Darija: the Arabic core

These are the foundation. Every Moroccan uses these Arabic numbers daily, regardless of education level or city. Memorize them first — they're the ones you'll hear most often at the souk, in taxis, and when ordering food.

#	Darija	Arabic	Pronunciation tip
1	wa7ed	واحد	wah-HED
2	jouj	جوج	JOOJ (rhymes with "rouge")
3	tlata	تلاتة	tla-TA
4	rb3a	ربعة	RB-ah (the 3 is a throat sound)
5	khmsa	خمسة	KHUM-sa
6	stta	ستة	SETT-a
7	sb3a	سبعة	SB-ah
8	tmnya	ثمانية	TMEN-ya
9	ts3oud	تسعود	TSA-ood
10	3chra	عشرة	ASH-ra

A few things to notice. "Wa7ed" (one) is rarely used for counting items — you'd say "3tini wa7ed l-khobz" (give me one bread) but more often you'd just say "3tini l-khobz" and the singular is implied. "Jouj" (two) is the number you'll say most often: two teas, two kilos, two tickets. Get it down cold.

Numbers 3-10 drop the final "a" when used before a noun with "dyal" or "d": "khmsa d-l-brtqal" (five oranges), "tlata dyal atay" (three teas). You'll pick this up naturally by listening.

11-20: the French takeover

Here's where it gets funny. Darija has its own Arabic-derived words for these numbers, but most urban Moroccans just switch to French. Understanding both systems helps because you'll hear the Arabic versions from older speakers, rural Moroccans, and in more traditional contexts.

#	Darija (Arabic)	French (commonly used)
11	7dach	onze
12	tnach	douze
13	tltach	treize
14	rb3tach	quatorze
15	khmstach	quinze
16	sttach	seize
17	sb3tach	dix-sept
18	tmntach	dix-huit
19	ts3tach	dix-neuf
20	3chrin	vingt

Notice the Arabic pattern: take the root of the unit number and add "-tach" (from the Arabic 3achar, meaning ten). So 7dach = wa7ed + tach, tnach = tnayn + tach, tltach = tlata + tach. Once you see the pattern, they're easy to decode even if you don't memorize them all.

In practice, at a Casablanca cafe, you'll hear "quinze dirham" far more often than "khmstach dirham." In a village souk in the Middle Atlas? You'll hear "khmstach." Know both, use whichever feels natural in the moment. Nobody will judge you either way.

Tens, hundreds, and thousands

The tens have their own Darija words, and you'll hear them regularly — especially 3chrin (20), tlatin (30), and reb3in (40) because those are common price ranges.

#	Darija	French alternative
20	3chrin	vingt
30	tlatin	trente
40	reb3in	quarante
50	khmsin	cinquante
60	sttin	soixante
70	sb3in	soixante-dix
80	tmanin	quatre-vingts
90	ts3in	quatre-vingt-dix
100	mya	cent
200	miyatayn	deux cents
300	tlt mya	trois cents
1,000	alf	mille
2,000	alfayn	deux mille
1,000,000	melyoun	million

To build compound numbers, use "u" (and) between the parts. 25 = "khmsa u 3chrin" (five and twenty — units first, then tens, like German). 35 = "khmsa u tlatin." 150 = "mya u khmsin." 1,500 = "alf u khmsa mya."

For prices in the souk, you'll hear a mix. "Khmsa u 3chrin" (25) or just "vingt-cinq." Both work. The seller understands either. When the number gets big — like 350 dirhams for a leather bag — most people switch to French because "trois cent cinquante" rolls off the tongue faster than "tlt mya u khmsin."

Ordinal numbers: first, second, third

Ordinal numbers come up when giving directions ("take the second left"), talking about floors in a building, or ordering in a sequence. The first few are unique words, then they follow a pattern.

Ordinal	Darija (masculine)	Darija (feminine)
1st	l-luwwel	l-luwwla
2nd	t-tani	t-tanya
3rd	t-talt	t-talta
4th	r-rab3	r-rab3a
5th	l-khams	l-khamsa

In practice: "dur f-ch-chari3 t-tani 3la l-imin" (turn at the second street on the right). "Bab r-rab3 3la lisr" (the fourth door on the left). "Hiya l-marra l-luwwla dyali f-l-Maghrib" (it's my first time in Morocco).

For numbers beyond fifth, most Moroccans switch to French ordinals: "sixieme etage" (sixth floor), "septieme rue" (seventh street). The Arabic ordinals exist but you'll rarely hear them past fifth in casual speech.

How to say prices

This is the number skill you'll use most. Morocco uses dirhams (abbreviated DH or MAD), and 1 dirham = 20 centimes (santimat). Here's how prices work in conversation:

Simple prices: "3chrin dirham" (20 DH). "Mya dirham" (100 DH). "Alfayn dirham" (2,000 DH). For small amounts, you'll often hear just the number: "b khmsa" (for five) when buying a small item.

The ryal system: This is where it gets confusing for newcomers. Older Moroccans and many souk sellers still count in "ryals" — an old unit where 1 ryal = 5 centimes, so 20 ryals = 1 dirham. When someone says "mya ryal," they mean 5 dirhams (100 x 0.05). "Miyatayn ryal" = 10 dirhams. If a price sounds absurdly high, they might be quoting in ryals. Ask "b-d-dirham?" (in dirhams?) to clarify.

Asking the price: "Bsh7al hada?" (How much is this?) or "Bsh7al hadshi?" (How much is all this?) or "Bsh7al l-kilo?" (How much per kilo?) for produce.

Saying it's too much: "Bzzaf!" (Too much!). "Nq9es chwiya" (Lower it a bit). "Ma3ndich ghir 3chrin" (I only have 20).

Phone numbers

Moroccan phone numbers are 10 digits, usually starting with 06 or 07 for mobile. People read them out in pairs, almost always in French: "zero-six, quarante-trois, vingt-et-un, cinquante-cinq, zero-huit." Sometimes you'll hear single digits for the first pair and then switch to pairs: "zero, six, quarante-trois..."

If someone gives you their number and you miss part of it, say "3awed liya men [the last part you caught]" (repeat it from...) or simply "3awed liya b-chwiya b-chwiya" (repeat slowly).

When exchanging numbers at a shop or riad, it's common for the person to type it directly into your phone. Just hand it over and say "kteb liya n-nimro dyalek" (write me your number).

Telling time

Time in Darija uses a mix of Arabic and French, depending on the speaker. The core vocabulary:

Darija	Meaning
sh7al f-sa3a?	What time is it?
sa3a wa7da	1 o'clock
sa3a jouj	2 o'clock
sa3a tlata	3 o'clock
u n9ss	and half (30 minutes)
u rub3	and a quarter (15 minutes)
qell rub3	minus a quarter (45 past)
u 3chra d-dqayq	and 10 minutes

So 3:30 = "sa3a tlata u n9ss." 5:15 = "sa3a khmsa u rub3." 7:45 = "sa3a tmnya qell rub3" (literally "8 minus a quarter"). For exact minutes, many people just use French: "il est trois heures vingt" or the hybrid "sa3a tlata u vingt."

The word "n9ss" (half) is incredibly useful beyond time: n9ss kilo (half a kilo), n9ss sa3a (half an hour), n9ss n-nhar (midday, literally "half the day").

Days and dates

Morocco uses both the Gregorian and Islamic calendars, but for everyday life the Gregorian calendar dominates. Days of the week in Darija:

Darija	Day
l-tnin	Monday
t-tlat	Tuesday
l-arb3a	Wednesday
l-khmis	Thursday
j-jm3a	Friday
s-sbt	Saturday
l-7dd	Sunday

For dates, Moroccans almost universally use French: "le quinze mars" (March 15th), "le premier janvier" (January 1st). Months are the French names. When writing dates, Morocco uses the European format: day/month/year.

Useful phrases: "nhaar l-tnin" (on Monday), "had j-jm3a" (this Friday), "j-jm3a lli jayyat" (next Friday), "j-jm3a lli fatet" (last Friday).

Numbers at the souk: a full dialogue

Here's a realistic haggling scenario where numbers do all the heavy lifting. You're buying a leather bag in the Marrakech medina.

Notice how the numbers ping-pong back and forth. The seller started at 700, you countered at 300 (less than half — a standard opening), and you met around 475. Every number in that exchange used the Darija forms. You could also say "quatre cent soixante-quinze" in French and the seller would understand perfectly.

Numbers in a taxi

Taxi negotiations (see our full taxi guide) are all about numbers. Here's how a typical fare negotiation sounds:

The key numbers for taxis: 10 (3chra), 15 (khmstach), 20 (3chrin), 25 (khmsa u 3chrin), 30 (tlatin), 40 (reb3in), 50 (khmsin). These cover 90% of city taxi fares. For grand taxis between cities, prices are higher: 35-80 DH per seat depending on the route.

Hotel and riad prices

When checking into accommodation, you'll deal with bigger numbers. A budget riad might be 300-500 DH per night, a mid-range hotel 600-1200 DH. Here are the phrases:

"Bsh7al l-lila?" (How much per night?) — "Tlt mya u khmsin dirham l-lila" (350 DH per night).

"Bsh7al jouj lyali?" (How much for two nights?) — "Alf dirham l-jouj lyali, m3a l-ftor" (1,000 DH for two nights, with breakfast).

"Wash ymken n9ss taman l-l-wlad?" (Can we get half price for the children?) — a useful phrase for family travel. Numbers plus "n9ss" (half) work together constantly in price negotiations.

Quick reference: numbers you'll use daily

Rather than memorizing every number, focus on these high-frequency ones that cover most situations:

Number	Darija	Where you'll use it
1	wa7ed	One tea, one ticket, one room
2	jouj	Two of anything (most common)
5	khmsa	Small prices, quantities
10	3chra	Taxi fares, tips, small purchases
20	3chrin	Common taxi fare, mid-range purchase
50	khmsin	Restaurant bills, medium purchases
100	mya	Souk shopping, restaurant for two
half	n9ss	Half kilo, half hour, half price

Common mistakes with numbers

Confusing ryals and dirhams. If a seller at the souk says "mya" and you think they mean 100 dirhams but they mean 100 ryals (= 5 dirhams), you'll overpay by 20x. When a price sounds suspiciously low or high, ask "b-d-dirham wella b-r-ryal?" (in dirhams or ryals?).

Getting the order wrong. In Darija, compound numbers go units first: "khmsa u 3chrin" is 25, not 53. If you say "3chrin u khmsa" people will still understand you, but it sounds like you're translating from English in your head.

Forgetting "u" between parts. You need the connector: "tlt mya u khmsin" (350), not "tlt mya khmsin." Without the "u" it sounds like two separate numbers.

Overthinking it. If you blank on a number, just hold up fingers, write it on your phone, or switch to French. Moroccans are used to people mixing languages and they'll help you. Communication is what matters, not perfect Darija.

Practice numbers with real conversations at darija.love.