Sunday, November 1, 2009

Speaking Moroccan Arabic

I want to learn Moroccan Arabic so bad but it is a very difficult language...So is Arabic...What is your opinion? Do you think if I learn regular Arabic it will be easier for me to learn Moroccan Arabic? or do you think i should just keep trying to learn from Aziz and his friends by learning new words and listening to them talk Moroccan Arabic. There is a blog called 760 days in morocco i will try and link it...I like to read it everyday some of you may like it too. http://760days.wordpress.com/ and here is another that has some good pictures of morocco http://essaouirawalking.wordpress.com/ ok sisters I need to go through a couple of otes and weed through my junk so....Later!!

7 comments:

  1. From what I know Maghrabi Arabic is quite different from other dialects. If you learn it Moroccans and Algerians will understand you, but a Saudi or someone from the Gulf may not. If you learn MSA, most people will understand you, and change the way they are speaking to match you. I would probably focus on MSA, as this will allow you to understand more people and types of media. It will be good for you to learn quite a bit of Magrabi though, because you want to also understand your husband and his family.

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  2. Salamu Aleykoum !

    We, moroccans mix french/amazeigh/arabic when we are speaking. Lol, but there is no such thinking as in ''writting in moroccan'' we write in ''arabia fus'ha'' standard arabic.

    Personally, I speak moroccan and understand all the arabs out there , but they dont lol which gives me a plus. I suggest you learn standard arabic instead because you can use it in any arabic speaking country , and moroccans will understand you , no problem .

    Salam !

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  3. Asalaamu alaikum,
    This is so confusing for me too. I gave up for now, at least on Moroccan, since It makes me laugh and seems like ebonics/slang from what little I have learned of Arabic. It's much easier to learn quranic arabic than Moroccan, plus you'll find more classes for it, and you need it for reading quran. I don't think learning one will help you learn the other, they seem to different to me. I think I'll learn moroccan aurally (by hearing and repeating) and quranic arabic, by sight (and sound)especially since we need to be able to read quran. Good luck!

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  4. Thanks for your opinions!! I think learning MSA will be best too because i can listen to news and understand the quran better and then learn Moroccan arabic listening and practicing with my husband...thats a good idea...

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  5. Not that it hasn't been said, but standard Arabic is better to learn because like everyone said it's more widely understood and good for Islam learning too. I'm now working on reviewing the little bit of Arabic I did learn before and I'm going to take an online understand Qur'an course. The only reason I post the Darija Word of the Day is because they are basic words I'm learning just by living here and being married to a Moroccan, but Darija is a crazy language with lots of influences from other languages. It's good to know some basics for communicating with Moroccan family members, but I don't feel bad that I haven't learned anymore than I have after living here for over a year.

    Anyway, that's my two cents and thank you for reading and linking my blog!

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  6. It's true that the spoken version of Arabic in Morocco is very, very different than standard Arabic. I used to be under the impression that Moroccan Arabic was basically a mix between Arabic and French, as well as other Berber dialects, but I realized something very different during my time in Morocco--I speak French and have a somewhat respectable foundation in Arabic from college, but Moroccan Arabic doesn't sound like either one. Though it's very true that I was able to get by with my standard-Arabic words.

    I would recommend that you learn standard Arabic, for all the reasons that have already been explained in previous comments. Personally, I plan to continue on learning Standard Arabic.

    But not to worry, I should also say that once you get a bit of Arabic vocabulary built up, it's very, very fun to learn Darija words, and see how completely different they are from standard Arabic words.

    There is a book called ALIF BAA (just the first two letters of the Arabic alphabet) that is excellent. I can't brag enough about this book.

    And finally, thank you for visiting and linking to ESSAOUIRA WALKING!

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  7. It's easyer to learn fus-ha (classes, books n' guides, tv...) but maghrebi it's harder (because the language and the few sources)

    Here is a little book for to learn maghrebi in spanish, french and english bases. Includes CD with phrases. ;)

    http://www.libreria.albujayra.com/idiomas/assimil-m-45.html?sort=2d&page=1&filter_id=25&amp%3Bsort=2a&language=en

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