Ways to say it
| Moroccan Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| فلوس | flous | |
| دراهم | drahem | coins, cash |
فلوس covers money in general, as in ماعنديش فلوس, 'I have no money'. دراهم more specifically means coins or cash in hand, and is also the name of Morocco's currency.
What does it mean word for word?
فلوس comes from فلس (fels), an old small coin once used across the Arab world, now generalised to mean 'money' in Darija. دراهم is the plural of درهم (dirham), Morocco's currency unit.
Which one should you use?
فلوس is the general word for money or wealth. دراهم points more to the actual currency, dirhams, in your pocket.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are used in everyday speech. More formal Arabic uses نقود (nuqud), which is rarely heard in Moroccan conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
فلوس is shared with Algerian and Tunisian Darija, while other Arabic dialects, such as Egyptian, use different everyday words for money.
How does it change in a sentence?
فلوس is treated as a plural noun and takes plural agreement, as in الفلوس ديالي ضاعو, 'my money got lost'.
How do you pronounce it?
The stress falls on the second syllable: fe-LUS. The s at the end is a plain, clear sound.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Learners sometimes use نقود, which is correct Standard Arabic but almost never said in daily Moroccan conversation.
When do people say it?
Morocco's currency, the dirham, cannot be freely exchanged outside the country, so visitors usually exchange their فلوس for dirhams only after arriving.
Did you know?
- فلوس comes from the old Arabic coin فلس, the same small coin that gave English the word 'fils', still used as a currency subunit in several Gulf countries.
- Morocco's dirham is a closed currency and cannot be bought or sold outside Morocco, so visitors change their money only after they arrive.
Examples in context
- ماعنديش فلوس دابا.ma 3andish flous daba.I have no money right now.
- بقالي شوية دراهم فالجيب.baqali shwiya drahem f jjib.I have a little cash left in my pocket.
- خصني نسير نبدل الفلوس.khesni nsir nbeddel lflous.I need to go exchange money.
Example conversation
Two friends, Hicham and Reda, split the bill after lunch in Marrakesh.
- Hichamشحال خصنا نخلصو؟shhal khessna nkhelsu?How much do we need to pay?
- Redaمية درهم، كل واحد خمسين.mya derhem, kul wahed khamsin.A hundred dirhams, fifty each.
- Hichamماعنديش فلوس مزوزة، عندك الصرف؟ma 3andish flous mzuza, 3andek ssarf?I have no small money, do you have change?
- Redaواخا، خليها عليا دابا وتخلصني من بعد.wakha, khelliha 3liya daba w tkhellesni men ba3d.Okay, I'll cover it now and you pay me back later.
