Why Numbers Matter
Numbers come up constantly: prices, phone numbers, addresses, time. Learn these first ten and you can build from there.
The Numbers 1-10
| Number | Darija | Pronunciation Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | wahed | wah-hed |
| 2 | jouj | zhoozh |
| 3 | tlata | tla-ta |
| 4 | rb3a | r-ba-ah |
| 5 | khamsa | kham-sa |
| 6 | setta | set-ta |
| 7 | sb3a | s-ba-ah |
| 8 | tmanya | tman-ya |
| 9 | ts3oud | tsa-ood |
| 10 | ashra | ash-ra |
Pronunciation Tips
The numbers with “3” represent a guttural sound not found in English. Listen to native speakers to catch this.
- 3 = like the Arabic letter ‘ayn (ع)
- kh = like the Spanish ‘j’ or German ‘ch’
Using Numbers in Context
At the Market
- Bhal kam? - How much?
- Khamsa drahem. - Five dirhams.
- Ashra drahem. - Ten dirhams.
On the Phone
- Your number? (Nta9 mzyan?)
- Wahed, jouj, tlata… (One, two, three…)
Memory Technique
Practice counting by saying each number out loud while pointing to objects around you.
Day 1: Focus on 1-5 only Day 2: Add 6-7 Day 3: Complete 8-10
Next Steps
Once you know 1-10, you can learn:
- 11-20 (follows a pattern)
- Tens (20, 30, 40…)
- Hundreds and thousands
But start here. Master these ten numbers first.