Languages · Spoken Egyptian Arabic · beginners

Egyptian Arabic A1 (Beginners)

A free course in spoken Egyptian Arabic, the dialect of Cairo, films and songs, for people who know no Arabic. Go at your own speed: 16 units, each with 5 short lessons, a quiz and extra practice. Part A teaches the letters, the vowels and the Egyptian sounds; Parts B and C follow with introductions, family, numbers, questions, food, daily routine, the past, the city and shopping.

Start with Unit 1

Units, not weeksTake a unit in a day or in a month. A unit has 5 lessons, a quiz and extra practice.
Written as it is saidEvery Arabic word is written with its short vowel marks, and in the first 10 units also with a Latin transliteration, so you can always read it and say it.
Listen and repeatPress the speaker buttons to hear words and phrases.
For men and womenEgyptian Arabic changes “you” and many words for a man and a woman. The course always shows both.

Reading marks used in the transliteration: ā ī ū = long vowels · ē ō = long e and o · ḥ ṣ ḍ ṭ ẓ = letters with a dot below (deeper sounds) · ʿ = ayn · ʾ = glottal stop · g = ج · kh sh gh = one letter each.

Part ASounds and first words

1

Welcome to Egyptian Arabic

  • Egyptian and Modern Standard Arabic
  • The Arabic letters and joining
  • Short and long vowels
  • Sounds that Egyptians say differently
  • Reading the first words
2

Greetings and politeness

  • Hello and how are you
  • Fine, thanks
  • Please, thank you, sorry
  • Good morning and good evening
  • Greetings: review
3

Introductions · Checkpoint A

  • My name is …
  • What is your name?
  • I am from …
  • Nice to meet you
  • Introductions: review

Part BMe and my world

4

I, you, he, she; countries

  • I, you, he, she
  • Sentences without “to be”
  • Countries and nationalities
  • Where are you from?
  • People and places: review
5

Numbers 0–10, age

  • Numbers 0 to 5
  • Numbers 6 to 10
  • How old are you?
  • Phone numbers
  • Numbers: review
6

Family, my and your

  • My family
  • Brothers, sisters, parents
  • My, your, his, her
  • Talking about my family
  • Family: review
7

This and that, adjectives, colours

  • This and that
  • Masculine and feminine
  • Adjectives
  • Colours
  • Things around me: review
8

Questions

  • What, who, where
  • When, why, how
  • How much, how many
  • Yes–no questions
  • Questions: review
9

I have, there is

  • I have, you have
  • There is, there is not
  • My things
  • Asking for things
  • Having: review
10

Mini dialogues · Checkpoint B

  • At a friend’s home
  • On the phone
  • In the street
  • Meeting a neighbour
  • Review of Part B

Part CDaily life

11

Days, time and numbers to 100

  • Tens up to 100
  • Days of the week
  • What time is it?
  • Today, tomorrow, yesterday
  • Time: review
12

Food and drink

  • Foods
  • Drinks and fruit
  • I want, I like
  • In the café
  • A meal: review
13

Daily routine: the present tense

  • I do, you do
  • He, she, we, they do
  • Common verbs
  • Every day, morning and evening
  • My day: review
14

Yesterday and work: the past tense

  • He, she, I did
  • We, they, you did
  • Jobs and workplaces
  • Yesterday and last week
  • Yesterday’s story: review
15

Around town, taxis and directions

  • Places in the city
  • Right, left, straight
  • Taxi and metro
  • Asking the way
  • In town: review
16

Shopping and prices · Checkpoint C

  • Numbers and money
  • How much is this?
  • Buying and bargaining
  • In the market
  • Final review of Egyptian Arabic A1

Free to use. This course is made by Darslab; it is not connected to any exam board or publisher.