| The Arabic | What it is for | The Arabic alphabet |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | Talking and texting with people in Egypt, and enjoying Egyptian shows and music | Not to start. Many Egyptians text in Arabizi, and others type in Arabic letters. |
| Modern Standard Arabic | Books, the news, classes and exams | Needed |
| Classical Arabic | The Quran and other religious texts | Needed |
| About the letters | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| 28 letters, and you read them right to left | English runs the other way. |
| Up to four shapes for each letter | A letter looks different at the start, in the middle and at the end of a word. See every shape in the letter forms chart. |
| Short vowels usually aren't written | A new word doesn't show you how to say it. |
Bubblegum is a language app where Poppy, your AI tutor, writes your lessons. Its Egyptian Arabic lessons in Arabizi spell out the short vowels, so you can see how to say a new word.
| Arabizi | Arabic letters with vowel marks | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 7abibi | حَبِيبِي | My dear |
| 3arabi | عَرَبِي | Arabic |
| 2ahwa | قَهْوَة | Coffee, café |
| ketab | كِتَاب | Book |
| gamil | جَمِيل | Beautiful |
Each number stands for one Arabic sound, and What Is Arabizi? lists them all. To start learning this way, follow How to Learn Egyptian Arabic in Arabizi.
| Without the alphabet you can | With the alphabet you can also |
|---|---|
| Talk with Egyptians and understand them | Read signs and menus |
| Text friends and family in Arabizi | Read the news and books |
| Pick a Bubblegum lesson, story or news article and read it in Arabizi | Read subtitles on Egyptian shows |
| Ask Poppy questions in Arabizi | Read messages that friends type in Arabic letters |
| Look up a word in Bubblegum's dictionary by typing it in Arabizi | Read religious texts |
| App | The Arabic alphabet |
|---|---|
| Bubblegum | You read Egyptian Arabic lessons in Arabizi or Arabic letters, and switch any time. |
| uTalk | You can start speaking Egyptian Arabic without learning the alphabet. |
| KMA | You can learn Egyptian Arabic in Arabic script or in Latin letters. |
| Drops | The games introduce the alphabet and core vocabulary. |
| Pimsleur | The reading lessons teach the alphabet. |
| ArabicPod101 | The Level 1 Egyptian Arabic lessons include alphabet practice quizzes. |
Bubblegum's Arabic alphabet course stays on your home screen when you read in Arabizi.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Egyptian Arabic. You learn from Egyptian Arabic you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- Lessons are written in Egyptian Arabic.
- Read your lessons in Arabic letters or in Arabizi, the Latin letters and numbers many Egyptians text in, and switch any time.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Egyptian Arabic about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Saved words come back in new lessons through Regenerative Review™, and you can send them to Anki too.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You can't turn Egyptian posts or articles you found into lessons. However, you can send Poppy a screenshot, and she'll explain it.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Egyptian Arabic
- Teaches the Arabic Alphabet
Mobile
Where Should I Start With Modern Standard Arabic?
Start with the letters, because Modern Standard Arabic is written in Arabic letters. Bubblegum's Arabic alphabet course has 11 short chapters, and How to Learn Arabic, Step by Step shows what comes next. Bubblegum's Arabizi reading option works with Egyptian Arabic.
Can I Learn Moroccan Arabic in Latin Letters?
Start Moroccan Arabic in Arabic letters. Moroccans text in Latin letters too, but they spell differently from Egyptians: they often write ch for ش, as in French, and 9 for ق, so Moroccan and Egyptian Arabizi don't match. The best way to learn Moroccan Arabic has the steps.
Which Egyptian Arabic App Should a Beginner Choose?
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Arabic alphabet (English Wikipedia): 28 letters written from right to left, up to four forms for each letter by position, short vowels typically not written
- Arabic chat alphabet, also called Arabizi (English Wikipedia): used for informal dialects and not Standard Arabic, never used in formal settings, ch for ش and 9 for ق in Moroccan Arabic
- Classical Arabic (English Wikipedia): the language of the Quran and the liturgical language of Islam, the register Modern Standard Arabic is based on
- Bjørnsson, Egyptian Romanized Arabic: A Study of Selected Features from Communication Among Egyptian Youth on Facebook (University of Oslo, 2010)
- Duolingo Blog: Arabic dialects (Modern Standard Arabic is the official variety, learned later through formal or religious education; the dialects have no standard spelling)
- uTalk: Learn Egyptian Arabic (you can start speaking Egyptian Arabic without learning the Arabic alphabet)
- KMA: Learn Egyptian Arabic, App Store listing (learn using Arabic script or Franco Arabic, Latin letters)
- Pimsleur: Learn Egyptian Arabic (reading lessons teach the script and alphabet)
- Drops: Learn Egyptian Arabic (games introduce the alphabet and core vocabulary)
- ArabicPod101: Level 1 Egyptian Arabic (alphabet practice quizzes)
