How do you say the days of the week and "what time is it?" in Moroccan Darija?

To ask the time, say "shHal f-sa3a?" (sh-HAL f-SA-aa) — literally "how much in the hour?" — which is simply "what time is it?". The answer uses "sa3a" (hour): "j-juj" is two o'clock, "l-3shra" is ten o'clock, and so on. You do not need to master the full clock; "shHal f-sa3a?" plus watching the person hold up fingers or point at a phone gets you there. For "at what time," it is "f-shHal f-sa3a?".

The days of the week mostly count upward, which makes them easier than they look. l-7add (l-HAD) is Sunday, l-tnin (t-NEEN) Monday, l-tlat (t-LAT) Tuesday, l-rbe3 (r-BAH) Wednesday, l-khmis (KHMEES) Thursday, j-jem3a (j-JEM-aa) Friday, and s-sebt (s-SEBT) Saturday. Several (tnin/tlat/rbe3/khmis) literally derive from the numbers two through five — Monday is "the second," Tuesday "the third," and so on.

Friday — "j-jem3a" — deserves special mention because it shapes your week as a traveller. It is the main day of communal prayer, when the midday service fills the mosques and many small shops close for a couple of hours around noon. Souks stay largely open, but expect a quieter, more reverent rhythm midday Friday. It is also when families gather for couscous, the traditional Friday dish — if a riad offers it that day, say yes.

Practically, I tell guests they really only need "shHal f-sa3a?" and "j-jem3a" to function — knowing it is Friday explains the midday lull, and asking the time covers logistics. The rest of the days are nice bonus vocabulary that delights locals when you use them ("n-mshiw s-sebt" — "we go Saturday"). Stack the days with "ghedda" (tomorrow) and "lyoum" (today) and you can arrange almost any plan in Darija.