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Words

Bslama

Bslama is the usual farewell in Moroccan Arabic, “goodbye”.

What it is

Richard S. Harrell’s dictionary of Moroccan Arabic lists be-s-slama as a farewell, “Good-by”; the 2011 textbook of Peace Corps Morocco writes it ب السلامة. The 1996 textbook translates it as “Good bye (Go in peace)”.

From the same family come triq s-slama, “have a good trip”, and ʿla slamtek, the greeting for someone returning home.

Where it comes from

Harrell lists be-s-slama under slama, the verbal noun of slem, “to be unharmed”. In Standard Arabic, salāma means “soundness, well-being, safety” and is also the farewell said by the one who stays behind.

When

Greeting and taking leave carry weight in everyday Moroccan life, and bslama is the word people use when they part.

At a glance

Moroccan Arabic
be-s-slama
Arabic script
ب السلامة
Arabic
سلامة (salāma), soundness, well-being, safety

Where it comes from

At home throughout the country, with no place of origin named by a source.

When you come across it

Everyday

Goes with it

WordsBsaha“B'ssaha”, literally “with health”, is said to someone who is eating or drinking, wearing new clothes, or coming from the barber or the baths; the reply is “Allah yaʿtik ssaha”, may Allah give you health too.WordsWakhaIn Moroccan Arabic, wakha is the word for “agreed, all right”; as a conjunction it means “although, even if”.WordsHchoumaHchouma is a word of Moroccan Darija that lies between shame and modesty. It is said of behaviour that breaks shared norms, even of a child who does not say hello.

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Last checked on 27 Oct 2026. 4 sources, 0 of them primary (authority, UNESCO, operator).

  1. Richard S. Harrell (Hg.), Thomas Fox, Mohammed Abu-Talib, Georgetown University Press (Internet Archive): A Dictionary of Moroccan Arabic: Moroccan-English (1966), English-Moroccan (1963), Einträge slem, slama, be-s-slama. https://archive.org/details/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  2. Peace Corps Morocco (Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic Textbook (2011), S. 6. https://archive.org/download/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic/Moroccan%20Arabic%20Textbook.pdf. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  3. Peace Corps Morocco (ERIC ED401741, Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic: A Competency Based Curriculum, Beginning & Intermediate Students (1996). https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED401741. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  4. Richard S. Harrell (Hg.), Thomas Fox, Mohammed Abu-Talib, Georgetown University Press (Internet Archive): A Dictionary of Moroccan Arabic: Moroccan-English (1966), English-Moroccan (1963), Einträge slem, slama, be-s-slama. https://archive.org/details/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  5. Richard S. Harrell (Hg.), Thomas Fox, Mohammed Abu-Talib, Georgetown University Press (Internet Archive): A Dictionary of Moroccan Arabic: Moroccan-English (1966), English-Moroccan (1963), Einträge slem, slama, be-s-slama. https://archive.org/details/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  6. Hans Wehr, J Milton Cowan (Hg.), Spoken Language Services (Internet Archive): A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 3. Auflage 1976, Einträge سلم, سلامة. https://archive.org/details/dictionary-of-modern-written-arabic-hans. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  7. Peace Corps Morocco (ERIC ED401741, Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic: A Competency Based Curriculum, Beginning & Intermediate Students (1996). https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED401741. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  8. Richard S. Harrell (Hg.), Thomas Fox, Mohammed Abu-Talib, Georgetown University Press (Internet Archive): A Dictionary of Moroccan Arabic: Moroccan-English (1966), English-Moroccan (1963), Einträge slem, slama, be-s-slama. https://archive.org/details/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  9. Peace Corps Morocco (Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic Textbook (2011), S. 6. https://archive.org/download/RichardS.HarrellThomasFoxMohammedAbuTalibADictionaryOfMoroccanArabic/Moroccan%20Arabic%20Textbook.pdf. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  10. Hans Wehr, J Milton Cowan (Hg.), Spoken Language Services (Internet Archive): A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 3. Auflage 1976, Einträge سلم, سلامة. https://archive.org/details/dictionary-of-modern-written-arabic-hans. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.
  11. Peace Corps Morocco (ERIC ED401741, Internet Archive): Moroccan Arabic: A Competency Based Curriculum, Beginning & Intermediate Students (1996). https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED401741. Checked on 27 Oct 2026.