How do I greet people and learn a few basic Arabic or Darija phrases?

A few words of Darija (Moroccan Arabic) are, pound for pound, the best investment you can make in your trip — not because you need them to get by (you do not), but because of how Moroccans respond to the effort. I have watched a single 'salaam alaikum' soften a stern shopkeeper into a host, and a fumbled 'shukran' earn a beaming smile. The starter pack I give every client: salaam alaikum (peace be upon you / hello), to which the reply is 'wa alaikum salaam'; shukran (thank you); la shukran (no thank you — your gentle shield in the souks); min fadlak (please); and bslama (goodbye).

Build out from there with the everyday glue of Moroccan conversation. 'Labas?' is a casual 'how are you / all good?', answered with 'labas, hamdullah' (fine, praise God). 'Naam' or 'eyeh' is yes, 'la' is no. 'Bshhal?' means 'how much?' — essential for the markets. 'Wakha' means okay/fine. 'Smahli' is sorry/excuse me. And you will hear 'inshallah' (God willing) constantly, attached to anything about the future, along with 'hamdullah' (thank God) and 'bismillah' (in God's name, said before eating or starting something). Sprinkling these in is exactly how locals talk.

In the mountains and the south, a special card to play is Amazigh. 'Azul' is hello in Tamazight, and 'tanmirt' is thank you — use these with Berber hosts in the Atlas or the desert and you will often get a surprised, delighted reaction, because few tourists bother. It signals that you see and respect Morocco's indigenous culture, not just the Arabic surface. Even one word lands as a real gesture among people whose language is rarely acknowledged by visitors.

Two things about how you greet matter as much as the words. First, slow down: greetings here are unhurried and warm, often layered ('hello, how are you, how is the family, all good?') before any business begins — diving straight to the transaction reads as cold. Second, mind the handshake and the right hand: a handshake (between the same sex freely; let the other person lead with the opposite sex) often comes with a touch of your own hand to your heart afterward, a lovely gesture of sincerity. Greet generously, use your right hand, attempt the phrases without fear of getting them wrong, and you will find doors and conversations opening that stay shut to the silent tourist.