Before we begin the lesson on words and phrases, I want to talk about dialects.
There are many Arabic dialects. While many may be similar, others are very different. There is Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) as well as colloquial dialects.
I am familiar with MSA and Egyptian dialects as well some some Moroccan and Tunisian.
I am familiar with MSA and Egyptian dialects as well some some Moroccan and Tunisian.
The map shows the breakdown of dialects in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Note that Egyptian Arabic is more popular than this map shows. From what I have learned, as well as other students studying this area, Egyptian Arabic and MSA are the most widely understood dialects.
MSA is used for reading and writing and in formal situations such
as the news or the Quran. It is typically understood, but isn't really helpful for conversations.
It is suggested you learn a dialect as well as MSA. The dialect will help you converse and MSA will help with reading and writing.
Keep in mind, if you talk in a different dialect it may be understood, but you aren't necessarily going to be answered in the same dialect.
Many dialects were influenced by other languages in the area. Moroccan Arabic, for example, was influenced by Spanish, French, and Berber.
I found this interesting blog post from a couple years ago where one person talked about their experiences with different dialects in the Middle East. It gives you a good first hand perspective.
The websites Importance of Languages provides some useful pages about MSA and where to find certain dialects.
Another resource you can use is by YouTube user, LearnArabicwithMaha. In this video she explains Standard Arabic and Dialects.
Now that you have a better understanding of the dialects, in the next post I will teach some useful words and phrases. Many of the words I will teach you will be in Modern Standard Arabic, but I have still heard them used in conversations (such as yes and no).
If there is anything in particular you would like to learn, let me know.
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| Map of Dialects - Click to enlarge |
Note that Egyptian Arabic is more popular than this map shows. From what I have learned, as well as other students studying this area, Egyptian Arabic and MSA are the most widely understood dialects.
MSA is used for reading and writing and in formal situations such
as the news or the Quran. It is typically understood, but isn't really helpful for conversations.
It is suggested you learn a dialect as well as MSA. The dialect will help you converse and MSA will help with reading and writing.
Keep in mind, if you talk in a different dialect it may be understood, but you aren't necessarily going to be answered in the same dialect.
Many dialects were influenced by other languages in the area. Moroccan Arabic, for example, was influenced by Spanish, French, and Berber.
I found this interesting blog post from a couple years ago where one person talked about their experiences with different dialects in the Middle East. It gives you a good first hand perspective.
The websites Importance of Languages provides some useful pages about MSA and where to find certain dialects.
Another resource you can use is by YouTube user, LearnArabicwithMaha. In this video she explains Standard Arabic and Dialects.
Now that you have a better understanding of the dialects, in the next post I will teach some useful words and phrases. Many of the words I will teach you will be in Modern Standard Arabic, but I have still heard them used in conversations (such as yes and no).
If there is anything in particular you would like to learn, let me know.
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