Coming to Spain knowing Arabic, but not knowing much Spanish, was definitely an unconventional experience. Before arriving, I came into Spain knowing only a few basic words and phrases. Of course, I knew gracias, but being here forced me to learn more through everyday interactions. Little by little, I started picking up words like tarjeta, meaning “card,” and a llevar, meaning “to take away.” These words might seem small, but every new word made me feel a little more connected to the place around me.
However, I also discovered that knowing how to speak Arabic could be its own kind of superpower in Spain. One day, while my friend and I were walking around, a group of Moroccan people came up to us. They were trying to figure out how to put a location into their phones so they could find their relative’s house, but they were having trouble. Honestly, I think they assumed that my friend and I spoke Arabic, which is why they stopped us. What they specifically needed, though, was Moroccan Darija. Luckily, that was something I could speak. I was able to communicate with them in Darija, understand what they were trying to do, and help them get the location working on their phone so they could find their relative’s house.
