Colloquial Arabic

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Colloquial Arabic (in Arabic called 'Lahja A'mmeya') is the spoken language throughout all Arabic countries. It is the local variations of the Classical Arabic, these variations are called dialects.

Here are some of the most common Arabic dialects:

• Egyptian Arabic dialect: اللهجه المصريه

  This is the most common dialect, it is spoken language by 80 million people. It is the most understood of all Arabic dialects, due to several factors, such as the central position of Egypt, it's population, it's historic importance, the Great Pyramid, the spread of Egyptian arts and culture (Egyptian films, Egyptian actors, Egyptian singers, Egyptian TV channels...etc.)






The famous Egyptian actor Omar Sharif عمر الشريف


Egyptian Arabic dialect is enormously rich and is continuously increasing to such an extent that there is always new 'playing on the words'.

Egyptian Arabic dialect has several variations or sub-dialects within it, such as the the dialects of Cairo, Alexandria, Nubia, Sinai...etc








• Shami Arabic dialect: اللهجه الشاميه

  Also called Levantine Arabic (Syria is also called Al-Sham; Shami means 'of Syria' or 'from Syria).

  This is the spoken language or spoken dialect in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine (total population of 35 million). There are some local variations of the colloquial Arabic dialect, that differ from country to country.

  
  
  

  
  

• Gulf Arabic dialects (or Arabic peninsula): اللهجه الخليجيه

  The spoken colloquial language of around 35 million people. Within the Arabic peninsula dialects we can identify the following major sub-dialects:

  1. Saudi dialect (with more minor sub-dialects).
  2. Omani dialect.
  3. Kuwaiti dialect.
  4. Gulf States dialects, also called Arabic Emirates dialects.
  5. Yemeni dialects (with several sub-dialects).

  
  
  

• Iraqi Arabic dialects: اللهجه العراقيه

  Spoken by 30 million people. It has the following major sub dialects:

  1. Baghdad dialect.
  2. Basra dialect.
  3. Mousel dialect.

  
  
  

• North African Arabic dialect: لهجة شمال إفريقيا

  Also called Maghrib dialects. Spoken by 50 million people in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Each country has it's own dialect, that are closely to each other. Again, each one of these countries has their own individual sub-dialects.

Colloquial Arabic is the common language of the Arabic people

As I mentioned, the above are the major and most common dialects, but by no means all.

If you just want to speak Arabic, learn some Arabic words, Arabic phrases, or even some Arabic numbers to, for instance, bargain prices etc....

You can learn one dialect of colloquial Arabic and use this dialect to speak with other Arab people from different Arabic countries. Don't worry, they will all understand you

You will be able to watch Arabic films, listen to Arabic songs and even tune-in to an Arabic TV channel.

With some practice of course.

Just use your common sense when you want to choose a dialect to learn.

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