Different languages are spoken in Morocco.
The history of Morocco resulted in daily multilingualism and a pronounced interest in foreign languages. The mother language of Moroccans, the official language of the country is Arabic as in many different Islamic countries. However, it should be noted that the Arabic language used in Morocco is quite different from classical Arabic. In this article, you will learn more about it, and you will also learn what are the languages spoken in Morocco in general so be sure to read until the end.
Darija
Darija is the main language of Morocco, although it is considered more of an Arabic dialect than a language. However, it should be noted that Darija is an Arabic dialect spoken only in Morocco.
The Moroccan dialect Darija is a combination of Maghrebian dialects, and a vocabulary derived from Arabic, Berber, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Turkish, etc. It is mainly used for oral communication and is not standardized. It is kind of a “street Arabic”.
Another interesting fact to know about Darija is that only Moroccans can understand Darija. 99% of the other Arabs can’t understand it, unlike Moroccans who can understand all the other Arabic dialects.
Then comes Berber languages
Amazigh is the language of the Berbers. The Berbers were the first inhabitants of Morocco.
Amazigh is spoken by nearly 40% of the population of Morocco and is also a language taught in certain schools. It is spoken especially in the regions of Souss-Massa.
A foreign language remained and used: French
Because of the country’s colonial past, French is also particularly common in Morocco. It is a language taught in all Moroccan schools. Therefore, the majority of Moroccans who have been in school for a long time are fluent in French.
Thus, French is spoken everywhere, in all families, businesses, and administrations. In the cities of Morocco, there is no place where a French person will be totally misunderstood. A French speaker can express himself and engage in dialogue in his language almost anywhere and with almost everyone, at least in urban areas.
A French person arriving in Morocco for the first time will be struck by the fact that all road signs, the press, the administration, and a good part of the education system, as well as most of the literature, use French as their first and often only language.
Another language: Spanish
Spanish is spoken in the north of the country of Morocco, in the regions close to Spain where the influence of the Iberian Peninsula remains important. It is not uncommon to find, for example, that in the Tangier region, Spanish is more fluently spoken than French.
Finally
Finally, English benefits here as elsewhere from its status as the first international language of exchange. Although English is much less widely used in Morocco than French, its popularity has continued to grow.
As Morocco develops, English has become an important language for doing business. Many universities now offer programs in English and there are language centers in most cities. Getting around speaking only English can be difficult, but you will often run into English speakers.
More broadly speaking, it should be noted that Moroccans, born in a land of mixing, exchange, and international tourism, show an astonishing ease in learning and practicing languages. Thus, tourists are always amazed that young teenagers have acquired the ability to express themselves in several languages and to hold a regular conversation in each of them…
In conclusion
What is the national language of Morocco? Well, due to the history of this North African country, 3 languages stand out in Morocco: Arabic, Berber, and french. Darija is the national language of Morocco, although it is more often considered an Arabic dialect than a language.
Some may wonder if all Moroccans speak french. Well, the vast majority do and some even speak Spanish especially in the North of Morocco. When it comes to English, It is more and more used over the years with the new generation.
