Learn Arabic dialects
There is no single spoken Arabic. People in Casablanca, Cairo, Beirut and Baghdad each grow up with their own dialect, and the Modern Standard Arabic in textbooks is not what any of them speak at home. Choosing the right dialect is the most important decision you will make as a learner.
Which dialect should you learn?
Learn the one spoken by the people you want to talk to. For family, choose your familyโs dialect. For travel, choose the country you are visiting. With no particular connection, Egyptian is the most widely understood because of Egyptian film and music.
- ๐ฒ๐ฆ Moroccan Arabic (Darija)
Best for: Moroccan heritage speakers, travellers to Morocco, and anyone with Moroccan family or a Moroccan partner.
87 words, 11 sections
- ๐ฉ๐ฟ Algerian Arabic (Darja)
Best for: Algerian heritage speakers and anyone connected to Algerian family in France or at home.
54 words, 7 sections
- ๐น๐ณ Tunisian Arabic (Tounsi)
Best for: Tunisian heritage speakers, visitors to Tunisia, and partners of Tunisians.
70 words, 9 sections
- ๐ฑ๐พ Libyan Arabic (Libi)
Best for: Libyan heritage speakers and anyone with Libyan family.
84 words, 11 sections
- ๐ช๐ฌ Egyptian Arabic (Masri)
Best for: Learners who want the dialect most Arabic speakers can follow, film and music fans, and travellers to Egypt.
54 words, 7 sections
- ๐ฑ๐ง Lebanese Arabic (Levantine)
Best for: Lebanese heritage speakers, music fans, and anyone with ties to Lebanon or the Levant.
54 words, 7 sections
- ๐ฏ๐ด Jordanian Arabic (Levantine)
Best for: Jordanian heritage speakers, students and visitors in Amman.
30 words, 4 sections
- ๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi Arabic (Khaleeji)
Best for: People working or living in Saudi Arabia, Saudi heritage speakers, and pilgrims.
54 words, 7 sections
- ๐ฆ๐ช Emirati Arabic (Khaleeji)
Best for: UAE residents, professionals in the Gulf, and people with Emirati family.
54 words, 7 sections
- ๐ฎ๐ถ Iraqi Arabic (Mesopotamian)
Best for: Iraqi heritage speakers and anyone with Iraqi family.
54 words, 7 sections
How different are they?
Here is one everyday question, โhow are youโ, across the dialects Lahja teaches.
| Dialect | Say it | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| ๐ฒ๐ฆ Moroccan Arabic | kidayr | ููุฏุงูุฑุ |
| ๐ฉ๐ฟ Algerian Arabic | wash rak | ูุงุด ุฑุงู |
| ๐น๐ณ Tunisian Arabic | chneya a7welk | ุดูู ูู ุฃุญูุงูู |
| ๐ฑ๐พ Libyan Arabic | shin 7al | ุดู ุญุงู |
| ๐ช๐ฌ Egyptian Arabic | izzayak | ุฅุฒูููุ |
| ๐ฑ๐ง Lebanese Arabic | kifak | ููููุ |
| ๐ฏ๐ด Jordanian Arabic | keefak | ูููู |
| ๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi Arabic | keif halak | ููู ุญุงููุ |
| ๐ฆ๐ช Emirati Arabic | shแธฅฤlak | ุดุญุงููุ |
| ๐ฎ๐ถ Iraqi Arabic | shlonak | ุดูููู |
Why Arabic dialects are so different
One root
Arabic spread out of the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century, and within about a hundred years it was spoken from Spain to Persia.
Older languages underneath
People kept sounds and words from what they spoke before: Tamazight in the Maghreb, Coptic in Egypt, Aramaic in the Levant and Iraq.
Empires and the sea
Ottoman Turkish in the east, French and Spanish in the Maghreb, Italian in Libya, and Persian around the Gulf all added their own words.
Centuries apart
Each region drifted on its own for centuries. A Moroccan and an Iraqi can struggle to follow each other, while Egyptian became widely understood through cinema and song.
The textbook is nobodyโs mother tongue
Modern Standard Arabic is used for the news, books and formal speech. At home, in the market and on the phone, people speak their dialect.
How to say common phrases in Arabic dialects
- How are you
- What's your name
- Hello
- Thank you
- Please
- Sorry
- I love you
- How much
- Money
- Let's go
- Come here
- What's this
- Delicious
- Beautiful
- No problem
- Okay
- I'm cold
- Why
- Now
- Because
- Cheap
- Cold
- Expensive
- Fast
- Hot
- Maybe
- My friend
- No
- Slow
- Tired
- Wait
- When
- Where
- Who
- Yes
- Hungry
- Bill
- Correct
- Enough
- Food
- Freezing
- I'm warm
- In a bit
- Rain
- Snow
- Water
- Where are you going
Guides to getting started
- Which Arabic should I learn?
- What is the difference between Modern Standard Arabic and the dialects?
- Should I learn Modern Standard Arabic or a dialect first?
- Can Arabic speakers from different countries understand each other?
- What is the easiest Arabic dialect to learn?
- How long does it take to learn spoken Arabic?
- How can I learn Arabic to talk to my family?
- What do the numbers 3, 7 and 5 mean in Arabic texting?
- Does Duolingo teach Arabic dialects?
- What are the best apps to learn Moroccan Arabic (Darija)?
- What are the best apps to learn Egyptian Arabic?
- What are the best apps to learn Levantine Arabic?
- What are the best apps to learn Gulf Arabic (Khaleeji)?
Which Arabic does each learning app teach?
Common questions
- Which Arabic dialect should I learn?
- Learn the one spoken by the people you want to talk to. For family, choose your familyโs dialect. For travel, choose the country you are visiting. If you have no particular connection, Egyptian is the most widely understood.
- Is Modern Standard Arabic the same as a dialect?
- No. Modern Standard Arabic is the formal written language used in news and books. Nobody speaks it at home. Dialects are what people use in daily life, and they differ a lot from one country to another.