The easiest way to learn Arabic is to learn the Arabic alphabet, and then read and listen to short, easy Arabic about things you already like, checking the translation when you need it. Leave grammar tables and long word lists for later, because easy Arabic keeps showing you the most common words and endings. Below are the first steps in order, and some easy Arabic to start with.
Is Arabic Easy to Learn?
Arabic is easy to start, and it takes a long time to learn well. The alphabet is the quick part, while the words and grammar take much longer, and the U.S. Foreign Service Institute puts Arabic in its hardest group for English speakers. Our guide to the fastest way shows how long it takes.
Three things make the start easier than it looks.
- Letters That Share a ShapeArabic has 28 letters, and some of them share one shape and differ only in their dots, such as ب, ت and ث.
- Words You Already KnowEnglish words like coffee and sugar come from the Arabic words قهوة and سكر.
- Arabic You Already HearIf you have Arabic-speaking friends or enjoy Arabic music, you have probably heard words like شكرا (thank you) and حبيبي (my dear).
What Is the Easiest Way to Start?
The easiest way to start is to learn the letters, then spend your time on short Arabic you enjoy, one small step at a time.
- Learn the Alphabet FirstLearn the letters in short sessions with Bubblegum's free Arabic Alphabet course.
- Pick One Kind of ArabicChoose Modern Standard Arabic for books and news, or Egyptian or Moroccan Arabic for everyday talk, and stay with it.
- Read About What You LoveRead short dialogues about food, travel, or anything else you already enjoy.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's sound and spelling go together.
- Hide the TranslationKeep the English hidden, and check it only when a line stops you.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep from each lesson.
Bubblegum is a language app for reading and listening to Arabic at your level, with lessons in Modern Standard, Egyptian or Moroccan Arabic that Poppy, its AI tutor, writes about the things you like. Words you save come back inside new lessons through Regenerative Review™, so reviewing them means reading more Arabic.
What Makes Arabic Feel Hard, and How Can You Make It Easier?
Four parts of Arabic feel hard at first, and each one gets easier when you meet it again and again in easy Arabic.
| What feels hard | The easy fix |
|---|---|
| Letters that change shape | Most letters have up to four shapes, depending on where they sit in a word. Easy reading shows you each shape many times, so it soon looks familiar. |
| Missing vowel marks | Everyday writing leaves out the marks for short vowels. Start with Arabic that shows them, such as Al Jazeera's articles for learners with the marks turned on. |
| Sounds like ع and ح | English has no sounds like these two. Slow, clear audio made for learners lets you hear them many times, in words like عربي (Arabic). |
| Masculine and feminine words | Many feminine words end in ة, as in مدرسة (school), so you can often see a word's gender at its end. |
What Is Easy Arabic to Start With?
Easy Arabic to start with is short and slow, and it is about something you enjoy.
| What | Why it's easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Lessons about a Moroccan cafe | Level 1, Bubblegum's easiest level, uses short lines with audio and a translation. | Free on this site |
| Lessons about travel plans | Simple lines in Egyptian Arabic about planning a trip, starting at Level 1. | Free on this site |
| Arabic Comprehensible Input | Videos on YouTube made for complete beginners. | youtube.com/@AcquireArabic |
| Storybooks Canada | Short picture books are sorted into five levels, and each one has audio. | storybookscanada.ca |
If a new word shows up in almost every line, switch to something easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to learn the Arabic alphabet?
Learn a few letters at a time, and read real words with them as soon as you can. Bubblegum's free Arabic Alphabet course works this way in your browser, in 11 short chapters, with pictures to help you remember the letters and audio for each sound.
Can I learn Arabic just by watching shows?
Not at the start, because most of an episode goes by too fast for a beginner to learn from. Many Arabic shows are in a dialect, so watch ones in the kind of Arabic you are learning once you can follow a simple conversation. Bubblegum's Egyptian Arabic lessons start at Level 1, so you can learn everyday words before you watch.
Which Arabic app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Arabic, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, tutors and speaking practice, see our comparison of Arabic apps.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
The Arabic Alphabet course and the Arabic lessons on this site are also free and need no account.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Arabic alphabet (28 letters written from right to left; up to four forms for each letter by position; short vowels typically not written)
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Language Training (FSI language categories)
- Wikipedia, List of English words of Arabic origin (coffee, sugar)
- Al Jazeera Learning Arabic (articles for learners with optional vowel marks)
- Storybooks Canada, Arabic stories (picture books at five levels, with audio)
