The short answer
Yes, in the places visitors use most. Riads, hotels, the better restaurants and licensed guides usually speak good English, and many younger Marrakchis do too. Deeper in the souks, French and Darija take over, and in Atlas villages it is Darija or Tamazight. You can manage the city in English, but a few local words help a lot.
In more detail
English has spread fast in Marrakech because tourism is the city's core trade. You can book, eat, shop and sightsee in English without much trouble, and riad staff will happily write an address or a taxi destination down for you.
Where English thins out is anything beyond the tourist routes: a neighbourhood café, a grocer in Bab Doukkala, a petit taxi driver, or a village on a day trip. That is where French or a few words of Darija make the difference between pointing and talking.
If you are booking a guide or a driver and English matters to you, ask for it when you book. Guides who work in English, French and other languages are all available in Marrakech.
Good to know
- Learn 'salam', 'shukran' and 'la, shukran' before you land.
- Carry your riad's address written in French or Arabic.
- A translation app with offline French and Arabic helps in the souks.