When Darija is by far the hardest language I’ve learned. Spanish, Italian, and French are all considered romance languages. They are the modern version of languages that were originally composed of “vulgar Latin”. That means they have some commonalities.
English is a Germanic Language with some Latin influences, so there are some words that are similar to words in the romance languages. Fortunately, knowing these languages all support each other and there are common themes, some similar vocabulary and common grammar structure.
However, that is not so in Darija. First of all, it is not considered a language, but a dialect of the Arabic language. Therefore, it is not written. Classical Arabic and French make up written documents, informational signs, product information, etc in Morocco. However, the spoken language is Darija. Additionally, Darija varies somewhat in the various regions and cities in Morocco. In Tangier, Darija is a combination of local words, Spanish and French words and even some classical Arabic words.
Darija is the first language of about 70% of the Moroccan population and the rest speak a Berber language called Tamazight. Needless to say, language is one of the greatest complexities of living in Morocco. On a regular day, I speak French, Spanish, Darija, Italian, and sometimes a little English. Sometimes I speak words of each in the same sentence! It is so interesting to see how people communicate and to confirm that 90% of communication is non-verbal.
All that being said, I am making a little progress on my Darija. Through learning the language, I find that I am better able to distinguish words and phrases that I hear on the street. In order to learn, my teacher has developed a written format of Darija, which younger folks often use for texting. This has been the most helpful element for me since I am a visual learner. When I write things down, or see them written, I am better able to remember them than if I am just repeating things.
So, here are some things I’ve learned so far.
Ana smyti Karen
Ana man amerikiya.
Ana oustada.
Ana mzawja man maghribi.
Kanaskoun f Tanja
Namchi dars Darija jouj youm l simana , tnin ou joum3a hadi tleta sa3a.
Bghit bazaf.
Translation:
My name is Karen
I am American.
I am a teacher
I am married to a Moroccan man.
I live in Tangier.
I go to my Darija course two days a week on Tuesday and Friday for three hours.
I like it a lot!
I’m only 9 hours into my 20-hour course and some days I feel encouraged and some days discouraged. Both are a natural part of learning a new language.
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