Telling time is useful for our daily conversations in Morocco or anywhere in the world and this is why we made this lesson to learn how to tell time in Darija / Moroccan Arabic. To do so, we use the demonstrative pronoun “HADI” and the appropriate number with the definite article (Check the lesson about the Definite Article). So, we will use the letter ” L ” (the definite article for words starting with moon letters) for 1:00, 5:00, 10:00, and 11:00. For the rest of the numbers, we will just double the first letter.

1:00 : Lwa7da 

02:00 : Jjouj

03:00 : Ttlata

04:00 : Rrb3a

05:00 : Lkhmsa

06:00 : Ssta

07:00 : Ssb3a

08:00 : Ttmnya

09:00 : Tts3oud

10:00 : L3chra

11:00 : L7dach

12:00 : Ttnach

NB: Checking the lesson about Numbers in Darija will help you in case you do not recognize the times mentioned above.

Useful Words For Telling Time in DARIJA:

The same thing as in English, there are equivalents of certain English words used to tell time in Darija like o’clock, quarter past, half past and quarter to:

Hour: Sa3a

Hours: Sway3

Minute: D9i9a

Minutes: D9ay9

Second: Taniya

Seconds: Tawani

At …. : M3a …

And: w

Before: Ql

Half: Nas

Five minutes: 9sam

Ten minutes: 9asmayn

Quarter: Rba3

Twenty minutes: Tolot

Quarter to: Laroub

Morning, Afternoon, and Night 

Sba7: Morning 

L3chiya: afternoon

Lil: night

Dyal: Of

… am: … dyal sba7 

You can say “dyal Sba7” between 01h00 am to 12h00 am.

… pm: … dyal l3chiya

You can say “dyal l3chiya” between 14h00 to sunset.

… pm: … dyal lil

You can use “dyal lil” from sunset to 01h00 am.

Sentences about Telling Time In DARIJA:

What time is it? : Ch7al f sa3a ? / Ch7al hadi f sa3a ?

It is 09h45: Hadi l3chra laroub;

It is 12h20: Hadi Ttnach w tolot;

It is 02h15:  Hadi Jjouj w rba3;

I am working at 10h00 am: Ana khddam m3a L3chra dyal Sba7;

I will go back to work at 03h30 pm: Ghadi nrja3 l khadma m3a tlata w nas dyal l3chiya;

I sleep at 11h00 pm: Ana kan3s m3a L7dach dyal lil;

I wake up at 07:00 o’clock: Ana kanfi9 m3a Ssb3a pil / nichan/ wa9fa.