Getting started
The Arabic course presented by Duolingo teaches a spoken version of Modern Standard Arabic. This is not a course dedicated to Moroccan darija. To prepare for everyday conversations in Morocco, add resources that explicitly teach this variety.
What the Duolingo Arabic course teaches
In its official explanation of the Arabic course , Duolingo specifies its choice of modern standard Arabic and presents work on writing and sounds. Information consulted on October 23, 2026.
These lessons can be useful if you want to read Arabic and discover its structure. The Duolingo dialect guide also distinguishes Moroccan Arabic from other varieties. So keep your goal in mind when choosing a course simply titled “Arabic”.
Why add a Moroccan practice?
During a stay, you want to recognise a question, give a destination or ask to repeat. This requires working on the words, constructions and rhythm heard in these situations. Understanding an exercise in standard Arabic does not yet mean understanding a spontaneous response in Darija.
There is no need to abandon what you have already learned. You can keep your reading work and add a little Moroccan conversation session. Our guide to Darija and Standard Arabic details this difference.
Three routes depending on your priority
| Your goal | Your next step |
|---|---|
| An upcoming trip | Prepare greetings, hotel, meals and travel with Moroccan examples. |
| Talking with a partner or loved ones | Choose conversations you'll actually have, then rehearse them together. |
| Read Arabic and speak in Morocco | Maintain a reading course and add speaking practice in Darija. |
To listen to recorded expressions, see the uTalk course Arabic (Moroccan) . For AI-guided practice on iPhone, the SayDarija listing describes lessons and roleplay exercises in Moroccan Darija. SayDarija publishes this site; the features cited come from the official descriptions.
Your first complementary session
- Open our guide to introduce yourself in Darija .
- Choose two questions and prepare your own answers.
- Listen to a Moroccan model, then repeat without reading.
- Ask a partner to ask the questions in a different order.
- Add a formula to ask to repeat .
At the end, check a specific skill: can you answer with your first name and city? This result is more useful for your next meeting than looking for an equivalence between two levels of applications.
Do you have to learn the entire alphabet before speaking?
You can start by listening and using a Latin transcription. Arabic writing can be worked on gradually in parallel. The numbers present in certain transcriptions represent sounds: our guide to writing darija explains them. Whatever writing you choose, accompany the words with an spoken example.