The super-power
Arabic speakers share a written language but grow up speaking very different dialects. Here’s how they differ — and which to pick.
This changes every phrase across the whole app. Switch as often as you like.
You’re set to Standard — .
“Fusha” is the shared written language — news, books, signs, official speech. Everyone understands it, but almost no one chats in it day to day, so it can sound bookish. The safe default if you don’t know where you’re headed.
The most widely understood spoken dialect, thanks to a century of Egyptian films, music and TV. Learn this and you’ll be understood far beyond Egypt. Famous for the soft “g” (gamal, not jamal).
Soft, melodic and widely understood across the eastern Mediterranean. Very close between the four countries, with small local twists. Hugely popular in pop music and drama.
The Arabic of the Arabian Peninsula. Distinct vocabulary (shlōnak for “how are you”) and pronunciation, increasingly heard in regional media. English is also widely spoken in Gulf cities.
The most distinct of the spoken dialects, with French, Spanish and Amazigh (Berber) influences and dropped vowels. Maghrebis understand other dialects from media, but the reverse is harder — many switch to French or Fusha with visitors.
A quick rule of thumb: