What is the difference between Modern Standard Arabic and the dialects?
Modern Standard Arabic is the formal language of news, books and official speech, and nobody grows up speaking it at home. Dialects such as Moroccan, Egyptian or Iraqi are what people actually speak every day, and they differ from it in vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
Where each one is used
Linguists call this split diglossia. An educated speaker moves between the two depending on the situation, a little like switching between formal writing and casual speech, except the gap is much wider.
- Modern Standard Arabic: newspapers, books, news broadcasts, speeches, formal documents.
- Dialects: home, friends, shops, phone calls, most television drama, songs, social media.
Same meaning, different words
The word for money, as actually said in each country:
| Dialect | Say it | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| ๐ฒ๐ฆ Moroccan Arabic | flus | ูููุณ |
| ๐ฉ๐ฟ Algerian Arabic | flus | ูููุณ |
| ๐ฑ๐พ Libyan Arabic | flus | ูููุณ |
| ๐ช๐ฌ Egyptian Arabic | flus | ูููุณ |
| ๐ฑ๐ง Lebanese Arabic | masari | ู ุตุงุฑู |
| ๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi Arabic | maal | ู ุงู |
| ๐ฆ๐ช Emirati Arabic | bezaat | ุจุฒุงุช |
| ๐ฎ๐ถ Iraqi Arabic | flus | ูููุณ |
Which one will people expect?
If you speak Modern Standard Arabic to a shopkeeper you will usually be understood, but it can sound like a person speaking in the style of a formal news report. People tend to warm up quickly when a learner uses their own dialect.
Do you need both?
Not to begin with. Choose the one that matches your goal. People who go on to advanced Arabic often end up learning some of both, and each one makes the other easier.
Common questions
- Is Modern Standard Arabic the same as Quranic Arabic?
- They are closely related but not the same. Classical Arabic is the language of the Quran and classical literature. Modern Standard Arabic is its modern descendant, with updated vocabulary and simpler style.
- Can I use Modern Standard Arabic in conversation?
- You will generally be understood by educated speakers, but it sounds formal, and you will not understand the replies if people answer in dialect.