Arabic dialects / Jordanian Arabic
🇯🇴 Learn Jordanian Arabic
Jordanian Arabic is a Levantine dialect with both city and Bedouin roots. It is what you will hear in Amman, and it is easily understood by Levantine speakers around it.
What makes Jordanian Arabic distinct
- City, village and Bedouin ways of speaking all exist side by side.
- It is close to Lebanese and shares much of its everyday vocabulary, with differences in sound.
- Some speakers pronounce the letter ق as a g, a Bedouin feature.
Essential Jordanian Arabic phrases
These come straight from the first sections of Lahja’s Jordanian Arabic course.
| English | Say it | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | marhaba | مرحبا |
| How are you | keefak | كيفك |
| What's your name | shu ismak | شو اسمك؟ |
| Thank you | shukran | شكراً |
| Please | law samaht | لو سمحت |
| I love you | bahebak | بحبك |
| Let's go | yalla | يلا |
| Delicious | zaki | زاكي |
In the spelling, 3 is the letter ayn, 7 is a breathy h, 2 is a glottal stop, 5 is kh and 9 is qaf.
Lahja’s Jordanian Arabic course
- 30 words and phrases across 4 sections
- Every word has a recording by a native speaker
- Short lessons, practice rounds and a test for each section
- Sections 1 to 3 are free. Pro is $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial
Best for: Jordanian heritage speakers, students and visitors in Amman.
Questions about learning Jordanian Arabic
- Is Jordanian Arabic different from Modern Standard Arabic?
- Yes. Jordanian Arabic is the spoken language of Jordan, with its own pronunciation, grammar and everyday words. Modern Standard Arabic is the formal written language, so learning it alone will not prepare you for ordinary conversation in Jordan.
- How do I start learning Jordanian Arabic?
- Start with greetings and everyday phrases you can use straight away, and listen to native speakers as often as you can. Lahja’s Jordanian Arabic course has 30 words and phrases across 4 sections, in five minute lessons.
- Is the Jordanian Arabic course free?
- Sections 1 to 3 are free and stay free. Lahja Pro unlocks the rest for $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial.
- Does the course use native Jordanian Arabic speakers?
- Yes. All 30 words in this course have recordings by native speakers.
Other dialects
Lahja teaches 11 dialects in all, including: