Learn Berber (Tamazight)

Where it's spoken

Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Mali, Niger

Speakers

around 30 million across its varieties

Writing system

Tifinagh, plus Latin and Arabic scripts

Tamazight is an official language in Morocco and Algeria and predates Arabic in North Africa by thousands of years.

What makes Berber (Tamazight) different

• Tifinagh is a distinct script with its own letterforms.
• Varieties such as Tachelhit, Kabyle and Tarifit differ substantially.
• Roots are consonant-based, similar in feel to Semitic languages.

Your first Berber (Tamazight) phrases

Each phrase is written the way it's spelled, then respelled for English speakers with the stressed syllable in capitals.

• AzulHello/ah-ZOOL/
• TanemmirtThank you/ta-neh-MEERT/
• Ma ulac aâwanPlease/ma oo-LAHTS ah-WAHN/
• Ar tufatGoodbye/ar too-FAT/
• IhYes/EEH/
• UhuNo/OO-hoo/
• IhwaGood/EE-hwa/
• AnsufWelcome/an-SOOF/

Want the full list? Read the free Berber (Tamazight) phrasebook with pronunciation, grab the free printable Berber (Tamazight) starter kit, or compare SemaSoma with other African language apps.