How do Moroccans count / what about numbers and prices?

Numbers are where a little Darija pays for itself fast, because prices fly around the souk verbally. The count from one to ten is: wahed (1), juj (2), tlata (3), rebaa (4), khamsa (5), setta (6), sebaa (7), tmnya (8), tsoud (9), ashra (10). For bigger figures you'll mostly hear miya (100) and alf (1,000) — so meeteyn ('two hundred') and so on. Even recognising khamsa and ashra by ear lets you follow a haggle.

Now the quirk that confuses every newcomer, and it caught me out too at first: many Moroccans, especially in markets and with older folks, quote prices in rial rather than dirham. There are 20 rial to 1 dirham — so if a vendor says 'miya' (a hundred), they may mean 100 rial, which is just 5 dirhams. A price of '2,000' might be 100 dirhams. When in doubt, ask bshhal bedderhem? ('how much in dirhams?') to anchor the conversation in the currency you actually pay in.

The reassuring news: you can sidestep the whole rial puzzle with French. French numbers — cent (100), deux cents (200), cinquante (50) — are understood by virtually everyone for prices, and most vendors will happily repeat a figure in French or simply tap it out on a calculator or phone if you look unsure. Asking them to show you the number written down is completely normal and never rude.

My practical method: learn one-to-ten in Darija for the joy and the warmth it earns, but always confirm the actual amount in dirhams — point at the number on a phone, or have them write it. Carry small notes and coins so you can pay close to the agreed price without needing change, and double-check whether a quoted figure is dirham or rial before you hand anything over. Get that one habit right and prices stop being a source of anxiety.