Introduce yourself in Darija: say your first name and get to know each other

10 phrases to get to know each other in Moroccan

Here are common forms for a first conversation. The transcription into Latin letters varies according to people and regions: “shno” can also be written “chno” or “shnu”.

“My name is” and “what is your name” in Darija

Smiti literally means "my name". Just add your first name: Smiti Lina , Smiti Adam . You do not need to translate each word of the French phrase “je m’appelle” separately.

To ask the question, use Shno smitek ? : "What is your name?" ". You will also hear Ashno smitek? . To return the question, add w nta ? to a male or w nti ? to a female. It's the type of person you're talking to that matters.

Before continuing, you can ask Labas? (“Are you okay?”). Find the answers and formulas depending on the moment in our guide hello and thank you in Moroccan .

Say where you come from and where you live

To the question Mnine nta ? or Mnine nti ? (“Where are you from?”), answer with Ana men… : Ana men Fransa means “I come from France”. To indicate where you live, use Kansken f… followed by the city: Kansken f Paris .

The two pieces of information may be different. You can come from France and live in Rabat: Ana men English. Kansken f Rabat. Start with these short structures, then add other details as you feel comfortable.

A dialogue for your first meeting

In this example, Sara meets Yassine. Read a line out loud, then its translation. Then replay the scene with your first name and city.

• Sara: Salam! Smiti Sara. W nta?
  Hello! My name is Sara. And you ?
• Yassine: Smiti Yassine. Mtsherrfin!
  My name is Yassine. Delighted !
• Sara: Mtsherrfin!
  Enchanted!
• Yassine: Menine nti?
  Where are you from?
• Sara: Ana men Fransa. Kansken f Paris.
  I come from France. I live in Paris.
• Sara : Kant3ellem d-darija.
  I am learning Darija.

For a meeting with relatives, complete this presentation with family vocabulary in Darija . To prepare for other situations, follow our guide to learning darija .

Pronunciation: how to read these sentences?

In shno , "sh" corresponds to the "ch" sound in "cat". In smiti , keep the group “sm” at the beginning. In kansken f Paris , the little word f means “to” or “in” depending on the context.

The number 3 in kant3ellem represents the Arabic letter ع , a sound produced in the throat which has no exact equivalent in French. Transcribing helps get you started; listening to a speaker and then repeating remains useful for finding the sound. Check out our guide to letters and numbers in Darija .

A five-minute exercise

1. Say “Salam, smiti…” with your first name three times out loud.
2. Ask “Shno smitek?” ”, then respond as the other person.
3. Add your country with “Ana men…” and your city with “Kansken f…”.
4. Redo the presentation without looking. If you get stuck, just repeat the difficult sentence.

Frequently asked questions

Reference for basic expressions

To check the forms “shno smitek” and “smiti”, see lesson What’s your name? by Darija Dictionary . The conversation examples in this guide have been written for practice.