Learn Egyptian Arabic – Why You Should Learn It

June 11th, 2011

Learn Egyptian Arabic

Learn Egyptian Arabic

You are not alone in wanting to learn Egyptian Arabic. The Egyptian dialect is one of the most popular dialects of Arabic, and yes, Arabic has many dialects depending on the country that speaks it.

I chose to learn the Egyptian Arabic because as anyone who speaks Arabic will probably tell you, Egyptian Arabic is the most well recognised dialect of Arabic out there. The reason for its popularity is thanks to the film and music industry which is a lot more active in Egypt compared to the rest of the Arab world.

For this reason many none Egyptians are exposed to the language on a regular basis in the form of Egyptian films, TV shows and popular music.

Egyptian Arabic is also referred to as “Masri” “مصري” which is an Arabic word that simply translate to “Egyptian”. The word Masri is derived from the word “Masr” ” مصر” which is the Arabic name for Egypt.

If you are visiting Egypt in the near future then I would highly recommend you learn Egyptian Arabic rather than the Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Even though MSA is used in media such as when reading the news, in newspapers, in books and in formal occasions, you’ll probably be more interested in speaking to the locals and will be more concerned about being able to communicate effectively so you can get around without problems rather than worrying about reading the news. To learn Egyptian Arabic will also mean that you’ll also be able to read magazines, watch and understand TV shows, understand Egyptian songs, comics, advertising etc.

I decided to learn Egyptian Arabic because I had to go out and work in Egypt and I learned the language quickly using this website.

Learn Egyptian Arabic is So Easy

If you want to be able to communicate with the locals effectively then you should learn Egyptian Arabic. The Egyptian dialect is spoken by at least 90 million people so it’s definitely worth to learn Egyptian Arabic.

I hope now you can appreciate why it’s such an advantage for you to learn Egyptian Arabic rather than the MSA if you are thinking of visiting/working in Egypt.

Oh and go here to learn Egyptian Arabic like I did :)

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Learn Egyptian Arabic Survival Phrases

July 7th, 2010

Egypt, as a destination, has gained popularity with tourist due to its hot, sunny weather and the diversity of its culture. There is a lot to see and do from visiting the pyramids, to spending whole days on the beaches of Sharm-el-sheikh.

If you’re thinking of traveling to Egypt, learning a few Egyptian Arabic survival words and phrases may be a good idea. It shows the locals that you’re courteous and you’re more likely to learn more about the country and its culture by communicating with people in their native language. You will be pleased to know that many Egyptians actually speak English so even if you don’t manage to learn much, you’re not likely to end up in an awkward situation where communication is impossible.

We will run through some of the main Egyptian Arabic phrases you’re most likely to use when going on holiday to Egypt.

We’ll start with single, easy and essential words like hotel and restaurant. In Egyptian Arabic:

hotel = fundoq
restaurant = mat’aam

Some other essential words include:

please = men-fadlak
sorry/excuse me = assef

Now we can move on to some essential phrases like when you go into a shop and wish to purchase something by saying:
How Much? = bekam?

If you’re lost and want to ask for your way round, you can use:

I want to go to… = Ayez arrouh ella…
where is…? = fein….?
can you take me to this address? = Hal yomken an takhozny ela haza alaonwan?

When you meet new locals and you wish to introduce yourself, use

my name is… = esmi…
To greet, you will want to use how are you = ez-zayyak (when addressing men)
how are you = ez zayyek? (when addressing women)

…and nice to meet you (Saadot belkak).

Another useful Egyptian Arabic phrases are:

I don’t speak arabic? = ma-batkallamsh arabi?
and I don’t understand = ana mish fahem

Finally you might want to know these phrases when you’re on your way back from Egypt and you need to find out what time your flight is. For this you can use:

when does the….arrive? = emta wussul…?
and when does the…leave? emta qiyam…?

So now that you know these Egyptian Arabic phrases, you should be able to take on Egypt on your travel. I hope you have a good time :)

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Learn Egyptian Arabic – The Best Way

June 7th, 2010

Ahlan!

When trying to learn a new language, many people tend to rely on books and online sites to gain their knowledge. These are good to begin with as they give you a basis to build up on. However, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to learn a new language fluently using these methods alone. I myself tried years ago and failed miserably.

Since it takes longer to learn a language using this method alone, people tend to start feeling frustrated early on in the process which puts them off leading to them giving up half way and never attempting it again.

In general, it is a lot harder for the human brain to memorize something using visual input only. When combining visual input with sound input, the brain finds it easier to arrange and store the received information, hence making it easier to be retained or memorized when needed.

The ‘Learn Egyptian Arabic’ Journey

When you commence your journey to learn Egyptian Arabic, you will come to find that you will learn and remember words a lot faster by reading the word and listening to an audio clip of someone saying the word at the same time. An even better approach is to read the word, hear it, and then write it down. This way, your brain will be receiving three different inputs at the same time of that same word making it easier to remember.

The other advantage of listening to the words being spoken while learning a language is obviously the pronunciation. Egyptian Arabic is a beautiful, but yet challenging language to learn. The reason for this is the fact that the Arabic alphabet has many words that are not found in other languages.

When it comes to pronunciation, many find it challenging and a slight put off. This problem is easily approached by getting hold of Egyptian Arabic language software that enable you to become more involved in the learning process. It also enables you to get involved in everyday conversation.

My Learn Egyptian Arabic Solution That Helped Me Learn Quickly

I used Rocket Arabic Premium, which is the best learn Egyptian Arabic courses available online. I know this because I did a lot of research and spent countless of hours trying different courses.

This software helps you understand the culture and has over 900 audio clips. It also uses software games to help you memorize words and phrases whilst having fun at the same time. The course includes quizzes and tests that help boost your confidence by helping you realize how much you’ve improved. Most of all, I recommend this product because it is user friendly and easy to use.

If you want to check out the software, click here

Hope this has been helpful for you. Good luck with your learn Egyptian Arabic journey!

Ma’asalama
Charlotte

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Learn Egyptian Arabic Basic Phrases

May 28th, 2010

Ahlan!

Just like when it comes to learning any other language, learning Egyptian Arabic requires a great deal of time, practice and repetition.

However, if you are new to the language and you’re not sure where to start, this article will provide you with some useful basic Egyptian Arabic phrases to get you going.

Learning a new language can become extremely frustrating (trust me, I know!). This tends to be the case when learners jump ahead of themselves by trying to remember a maximum number of words and phrases in a minimum space of time. Realistically this does not work in the long run which leads to people giving up.

The best way to learn is to concentrate on learning 2-3 words per day and going over them again everyday whilst adding a new word. To start out, it’s best to begin with short, easy to remember, single words such as ‘Yes’ and ‘No’

The word ‘No’ is probably the easiest word you can start with and is pronounced as la (لا).

The word ‘Yes’ can be used in two different ways; aywa (ايوا) which is the Egyptian way of saying it and na’am (نعم), which is the modern standard Arabic (MSA) way of saying it, but is also used in Egyptian Arabic.

Next we move on to greetings starting with word ‘hi’ or ‘welcome’, both of which can be expressed in Egyptian Arabic by using the word ahlan wa sahlan (اهلا وسهلا) or simply just ahlan.

When saying ‘goodbye’ to someone, you would normally use the phrase ma’asalama (مع السلامة) but for a beginner this is slightly more advanced. Using the word (Salam سلام) on its own is fine. These days a lot of Egyptians, especially the youth, use the English word ‘bye’ as a result of western influence.

The most common word new learners pick up first is how to say ‘thank you’, the Egyptian word for this is shukran (شكرا)

Another common word, which you probably have already heard of, is the word (Habibi حبيبي) which means ‘my love’ or ‘my darling’ ;)

Finally, we will end with the simple Egyptian word (esmi اسمي), which when translated to English means ‘my name is’. So I would say esmi Charlotte Smith :)

So that’s it for today’s lesson. Keep practicing and stay tuned for some more learning material.

I used this website to learn Egyptian Arabic: check it out here.

Take care,
Charlotte

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