Should you learn an Arabic dialect?
When you're first learning Arabic (usually Standard Arabic, or fus7a), this is one of the main questions that comes up.
While the majority of formal study programs will focus on fus7a, I think a dialect is actually a great choice.
That’s why I’m covering some of the main Arabic-speaking countries in the world in this post. Some important background information about seven of them, and why you might decide to focus on their dialect.
So you can decide which Arabic dialect is right for you!
Stick around until the end for my own personal recommendation…
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Why Learn One Of The Arabic Dialects In The First Place?
First, it’s important to understand the difference between fus7a and Arabic dialects.
Fus7a is much more formal. This is the version of Arabic that is used in news programs, religious ceremonies, and government proceedings.
You can see why having a background in fus7a might be important. That said, nobody naturally speaks it as their native language. Literally not a single person in the world.
The reason this is so important to understand is that many people spend a ton of time learning fus7a, and then are disappointed that they can’t actually have a conversation with native speakers.
The differences between fus7a and dialects are really that huge. I sure know that was my experience when I first moved to Egypt!
Of course, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t study Standard Arabic at all.
In fact, a basic understanding of the Arabic alphabet is essential before tackling a spoken dialect. Fus7a is also necessary for reading in Arabic as you'll need to be able to read signs and menus when traveling throughout the Middle East.
And if you want to be a well-rounded Arabist? You will have to learn fus7a at some point. By the way, if you want to work on Standard Arabic, how about reading a short story in Arabic?
But if you actually want to speak the language with people? Stick with a dialect!
Let’s get started.
1) Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, if you are a Muslim, is hugely important.
That’s because the country is home to the two most important cities in Islam: Mecca and Medina.
Mecca is the city millions of Muslims migrate to each year during the hajj….so a great dialect to learn if Islam plays a part in your life.
In addition, Saudi Arabia is a huge destination for foreigners that want to make some money. This is especially true for native English speakers that want to capitalize on their native language. It’s not uncommon for English teachers to make 4,000 dollars or more per month.
Good to know!
As for how useful Saudi Arabic is once you are actually there? Well….that’s another question! Saudi Arabia (and many gulf countries in general) has a large foreign worker populations. That often means knowing how to speak English is more important than Arabic!
As an added feature of the Saudi Arabia dialect, many Arabs claim that it’s the closest you will come to fus7a. Good to know if you want the smallest gap between your studies and a new dialect.
2) Iraq
Iraqi Arabic is a dialect of Mesopotamian Arabic.
It traces its roots back thousands of years, and has a rich history that goes all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia! If you're interested in linguistics or history, then Iraqi Arabic might just be the one for you.
That said, in recent years, things like the Iraq War and the spread of ISIS have painted Iraq in a bad light. Instability in the country has generally deterred people from picking up this dialect. After all, why study the language if you’re never going to go there (or so the thinking goes).
Then again, Iraqi Arabic is often complimented for how “pure” it is. A good reason to pick up any language!
3) Syria
Syrian Arabic (which belongs to Levantine Arabic) is made up of a variety of different dialects. While some are closer to Iraqi Arabic, other dialects share more similarities to Jordan (as we will see). This is due to geography more than anything.
In general, this is an important point to consider: Arabic dialects often differ widely. In fact, they can be so different that even native Arabic speakers sometimes have trouble communicating.
Imagine the troubles for a non-native speaker!
From my own experience, Syrian Arabic is quite nice to listen to. It sounds poetic and is a little bit “softer” than a dialect like Saudi Arabic.
In addition, Syria as a country has played a central role in Middle Eastern events of the last 10 years. It was one of the main participants in the Arab Spring of 2011, and has been racked by a civil war ever since.
Syrian populations are now spread all across the world. Europe especially. This makes Syrian Arabic especially important if you are interested in working in the humanitarian field.
4) Jordan
First and foremost, Jordanian Arabic is one of the dialects of Levantine Arabic. That means learning this dialect would make it easier for you to understand many speakers from Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria (or at least some of them).
Jordanian Arabic also shares some similarities to the more academic fus7a. Less work if you’ve already studied it!
In addition, Jordan is home to Petra. This is one of the Middle East’s most-visited cities, and home to one of the “new seven wonders of the world.”
The capital city Amman is also a vibrant and hip cultural hub. Always nice to know if you are planning a trip!
Lastly, Jordan as a country has high rates of people leaving the country.
That’s because the quality of Jordanian education is quite high. This (ironically) results in a lot of citizens looking for employment opportunities abroad. This means it’s quite common to find Jordanian communities in cities around the world.
Whether or not you plan to visit the country, Jordanian Arabic will be a good choice.
5) Lebanon
Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, has long been known as the “Paris of the Middle East.” It’s right on the Mediterranean, has a rich culture, and is home to a lot of the Arab world’s most famous celebrities.
That image has unfortunately changed over the past few years.
That’s because Lebanon suffers from a host of problems. This includes a government in crisis as well as a rapidly deteriorating economy. Add to this the Beirut explosion of 2020, and Lebanon has progressively become less of an interest for students of Arabic.
Still, Lebanon is one of the most diverse countries (culturally, linguistically, and religiously) you will find in the Middle East. And Beirut just happens to be one of its prettiest cities!
Plus, here’s one more little fun fact for you: a lot of Arab men think the Lebanese dialect sounds kind of “girly.” I’ve even heard it described as “overly poetic.”
No joke, this is what I’ve heard time and time again. Only one way to find out – learn it!
6) Algeria
Algeria is one of the most populous countries in the Arab world.
It’s also home to one of the most confusing Arabic dialects!
My Arabic teacher once told me that with how different the Algerian dialect was from more popular dialects, a learner would have to have to have a very specific reason to learn it.
That should give you a general idea of what I mean.
In fairness, Algerian Arabic is often lumped together with the Tunisian and Moroccan dialects as some of the most difficult to learn. This is largely due to the influence that French colonization had on the countries.
They are, in simple terms, an interesting (and sometimes confusing) mix of French and Arabic. In fact, even native Arabic speakers often have huge problems understanding the dialect.
Which leads us to our last Arabic dialect…….
7) Egypt
If you’ve made it this far and still don’t know which Arabic dialect you’d like to learn, take my advice: choose Egyptian.
Egyptian Arabic is the most widely understood dialect in the Arab world.
Bar none.
While there are a number of reasons for this, perhaps the most important is also the simplest: movies. Quite simply, a huge amount of Arabic cinema comes from Egypt. People throughout the Middle East love their Egyptian movies, and Ramadan series specifically.
That means Egyptian Arabic has spread far and wide. Go up to your average native Arabic speaker and start the conversation in Egyptian Arabic, and odds are they will understand at least a decent amount of what you’re saying to them.
This makes the dialect the “most useful” on a general level throughout the Middle East, which is interesting considering how different it is from fus7a!
Still, that’s not to say that you’ll become an Arabic genius just by learning Egyptian Arabic. There will still be plenty of communication gaps.
Plus, just because you’ll be understood by a lot of people throughout the Middle East, doesn’t mean you’ll understand them! This is one of the most common frustrations when studying an Arabic dialect.
That said, native Arabic speakers are often quite good at “Egyptian-izing” their speech. This should make it a bit easier for you.
One last point: Egypt is by far the most visited country in the Arabic-speaking world. And for good reason. With sites like the seas of Alexandria, the deserts of Siwa, and the incredible pyramids of Cairo, who wouldn’t want to go to Egypt?
Check out this post on 10 reasons to learn the Egyptian dialect if you need a little bit more convincing.
So Which Arabic Dialect Will You Learn?
While learning fus7a comes with its own benefits, I truly do believe that a dialect is the way to go. It’s the only way you can truly communicate to people!
One last little caveat before we finish: Arabic is complex.
Different countries can (and often do) have a variety of local dialects. The dialect you hear in Cairo, for example, is slightly different than its counterpart in Luxor and Aswan.
Learning one dialect in no way guarantees easy communication throughout the Middle East.
Still, Egyptian Arabic is the best shot you have.
And here’s one last piece of motivation for you: dialects are usually easier than fus7a. Less confusing grammar, easier pronunciation, and in general fewer rules to remember. Great news if fus7a has been difficult for you!
Even though Egyptian Arabic is my recommendation, ask yourself what your goals are.
- Do you have a specific interest in Iraq?
- Or maybe you’ve always wanted to visit Tunisia.
This will help you answer the question: which Arabic should I learn?
I only talked about some of the main Arabic dialects – there’s plenty more to discover. At the end of the day, any dialect is great. And regardless of which Arabic dialect you choose to learn….it’s sure to be a life-changing experience!
Olly Richards
Creator of the StoryLearning® Method
Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.
Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.
When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.
