Moroccan Arabic, called Darija (الدارجة), is the everyday language of Morocco. About 31 million people speak it as a first language, and about 92% of people in Morocco said they speak it in the 2024 census. Darija has borrowed words from Amazigh, French, and Spanish, and people often write it online in Latin letters and numbers. Many Moroccans also use French at school and at work. Duolingo, Mango, and Pimsleur teach other kinds of Arabic, so this guide gathers every app, tutor, course, and video we could find for Darija.
Here are the resources that teach Darija, grouped by what they help you do. For Modern Standard Arabic, see our Arabic app comparison.
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
Bubblegum suits learners who want Moroccan Arabic built around their own lives. Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, what you want to learn. She writes lessons in Darija for your level and helps you understand the words and grammar. You can read and listen, and ask her about anything that is unclear. News and stories give you more Moroccan Arabic to read about music, food, family, and other things you care about.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum does not replace real Moroccan voices. For recorded speakers, Glossika and uTalk are the better fit, and for conversation, try the tutors in Learn With People.
- Moroccan Arabic is its own journey in Bubblegum, with lessons written in Darija.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Moroccan Arabic about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading instead of using flashcards.
- Lesson audio uses AI voices, not recordings of Moroccan speakers.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- The free plan includes one new custom lesson each day.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches the Arabic Alphabet
Mobile
Practice Speaking and Listening
Glossika
Glossika has a Moroccan Arabic course of its own, separate from its Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Arabic courses. It works through sentences matched to your level, which suits learners who like to listen first.
- More than 5,000 words and sentences, from level A1 to C1.
- Audio from native speakers, with a placement test or a start from zero.
MobileWeb
Build Vocabulary
uTalk
uTalk teaches Moroccan Arabic words and phrases for everyday situations, such as ordering a coffee and saying please and thank you. Its example phrases show Arabic script with the sounds spelled in Latin letters.
- More than 2,500 everyday words and phrases in 60+ topics.
- Audio from native speakers.
MobileWeb
Learn With People
Tutors from Morocco can teach Darija for conversation and correct you as you speak.
italki
Many italki teachers say in their profiles that they teach Moroccan Arabic, or Darija, for beginners and for conversation. Search both the Arabic (Maghrebi) and Arabic tutor lists.
- Find tutors from Morocco who teach Darija, and book lessons around your schedule.
- Get feedback while you speak.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply has a Moroccan Arabic page of its own, where you can filter tutors by dialect and availability. Read profiles and watch intro videos to find a tutor who fits your level and goals.
- Compare Moroccan Arabic tutors by profile, reviews, and intro video.
- Lessons focus on conversation, accent, and real-life communication.
MobileWeb
Use Free Lessons, Books, and Videos
Some Darija courses are free. The US Peace Corps wrote a Moroccan Arabic course for its volunteers, and Live Lingua hosts it for anyone. Learner Mary Copeland calls the Peace Corps textbook one of the best-developed free Darija courses, and her list of free beginner resources also recommends Abdellah Chekayri's textbook An Introduction to Moroccan Arabic and Culture from Georgetown University Press.
- Daily Darija has a podcast on Spotify and YouTube, and its episodes come with transcripts and vocabulary summaries.
- Darija School offers free beginner courses with no registration.
- The Darija Channel teaches common phrases for talking with people in Morocco.
- Muhammad Teaches Arabic teaches Darija together with Moroccan culture.
- Morabica makes Moroccan Arabic lessons for English speakers.
- The Armchair Arabist shares videos of Moroccans speaking naturally, with transcripts and translations.
Take a Class in Morocco
If you can travel, Qalam wa Lawh in Rabat teaches Moroccan Arabic in six levels that run all year. The Arabic Language Institute in Fez also teaches Darija.
Learn Moroccan Arabic in Your Language
These counts cover menu-language choices, including script variants. Other apps’ counts and full lists come from their iPhone listings. Lesson explanations and other platforms may differ.
| App | Supported Display Languages | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Full list
|
| Glossika | 2 | Full list |
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
Other Apps We Looked At (10)
- MorolingoA Darija and Amazigh app for iPhone and Android with dialogues recorded by native speakers, quizzes, and situations like ordering food, taking a taxi, and shopping.
- GoDarijaAn iPhone app with Moroccan Arabic lessons, stories, proverbs, quizzes, and dialogues. It is new and growing.
- DarijAppInteractive stories, native audio, flashcards, and quizzes with everyday Darija. It is new and growing.
- Moroccan Darija DictionaryAn iPhone dictionary with audio from Moroccan speakers that also shows how Darija grammar works.
- Memrise word listsMoroccan Arabic word lists made by other learners, including one based on the Peace Corps textbook, which you can study on the separate Community Courses website.
- LingQIts Arabic library includes Moroccan Arabic lessons shared by other members, such as a Wikitongues recording of a Moroccan speaker.
- PlayalingReal videos in Maghrebi Arabic, mostly Moroccan Darija, with Arabic transcripts, English translations, and an audio dictionary.
- LoecsenA free online course for complete beginners, with illustrated phrases and sound.
- The Spoken ArabicA free Moroccan Arabic crash course on greetings, key phrases, and everyday words.
- Darija.ioA free Darija dictionary with Arabic script, pronunciation, and cultural notes.
Common Questions
Which Darija resource should a beginner choose?
Start with audio and a tutor. uTalk and Glossika play recordings by native speakers, and a tutor on italki or Preply can answer your questions and correct you. Add Bubblegum when you want lessons about your own interests.
Will Modern Standard Arabic or Egyptian Arabic help me understand Darija?
Some of it carries over, since Darija draws on Arabic words. Pimsleur's guide to Arabic dialects notes that Maghrebi Arabic, the family Darija belongs to, typically has the lowest mutual intelligibility with other major dialects, so Darija is worth learning on its own. If you plan to visit Egypt, see our Egyptian Arabic guide.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. You can read the free lesson library and ask Poppy for one new custom lesson each day on iPhone and Android. Become a Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons and to support our team.
Sources
- Moroccan Arabic (speakers, loanwords, and how it is written)
- Morocco World News: Benmoussa says 92% speak Darija (2024 census)
- Arabizi (Arabic written in Latin letters and numbers)
- French language in Morocco
- Duolingo: Learn Arabic
- Mango Languages: available languages
- Pimsleur: Arabic Dialects, Learning the Differences
- Bubblegum
- Glossika
- uTalk
- italki
- Preply
Checked on October 5, 2026 against each app's own pages.
