How do you say "I'm just looking" in Moroccan Darija?

This is the phrase that lets you actually enjoy a Moroccan market instead of feeling cornered. "Ghir kanshouf" (gheer kan-SHOOF) means "I'm just looking" — "ghir" is "only / just," "kanshouf" is "I'm looking." When a vendor invites you in and you want to browse without buying, this tells them, in their own language, exactly where you stand. It is polite, clear, and instantly lowers the sales pressure.

Tone is everything. Delivered with a relaxed smile and a "shukran" (thank you) — "ghir kanshouf, shukran" — it reads as friendly window-shopping, not a brush-off. Moroccan vendors are persuasive but rarely pushy once you have set the frame courteously; most will say "welcome, look freely, no problem" and let you wander. Many of my guests find that browsing this way, without the buying pressure, actually leads to their best purchases later.

If a vendor is more persistent and you genuinely want to move on, escalate gently: "la, shukran" (la, shukran), "no, thank you," is firm but warm, and "ma bghit-sh, shukran" ("I don't want it, thanks") closes it clearly. The key is never to ignore the person — a silent walk-past can read as rude, whereas a smiling "la, shukran" honours the interaction and almost always gets a friendly "bslama" (goodbye) in return.

A bit of context that helps: the call of "come, just look, looking is free!" is part of the souk's theatre, not a trap. Vendors genuinely don't mind browsers — foot traffic and conversation are the lifeblood of the market. So arm yourself with "ghir kanshouf," wander confidently, touch the lanterns and the leather and the spices, and treat the whole thing as the sensory experience it is. The phrase gives you the freedom to do exactly that.