Learn Lebanese Arabic with Playaling: Your Ultimate Learning Companion

Lebanese Arabic is spoken by millions of people in Lebanon and is widely recognized and understood across the Arab world. It’s also closely related to other Levantine dialects, making it accessible to speakers in Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. The unique charm of the Lebanese dialect comes from its melodic tones and the mixture of Arabic with French and English influences, creating a language that is both modern and deeply rooted in history.

The dialect of the people of Beirut can be presented as the Lebanese dialect, as it is the most commonly used in Lebanese television programs. Additionally, Beirut is the largest city in Lebanon.

What distinguishes the Lebanese dialect (Beirut dialect) from other dialects is the inclination of the letter ا “alif” in most words and the negation of nouns using مش while verbs are negated using ما similar to the Syrian dialect.

Lebanese people often integrate French words into their daily conversations, such as بونجور (good morning), بونسوار (good evening), ميرسي (thanks), كيفك سافا؟ (how are you?), مدام (madame), and مدموزيل (mademoiselle).

The Lebanese clip below showcases the features mentioned above:

Lebanese Arabic: A gateway to culture and community

Lebanese Arabic is not just a subdialect; it’s a window into the rich cultural tapestry of Lebanon. Despite small regional differences, it remains highly similar to other Levantine dialects, ensuring mutual intelligibility across Syria, Jordan, and Palestine.

The subdialects of Lebanese Arabic

Lebanese Arabic is incredibly rich and diverse, shaped by the country’s complex history and its blend of cultural influences. While each region may have its own variation, these are minor differences and the dialect remains very similar to other Levantine dialects.

A unique feature of Lebanese Arabic is the Imālah, or the vowel shift where the ألف sound is pronounced as ياء in certain words. For example, in Lebanese Arabic, باب (door) is often pronounced as [insert audio].

1. Beirut subdialect (urban Lebanese Arabic):
   The Beirut subdialect is similar to many urban subdialects in the Levant, characterized by the substitution of the letter ق (qaf) with a glottal stop (ʾ), a feature common in Damascus, Amman, and other Levantine cities.
2. Mount Lebanon subdialect:
   This subdialect, spoken in the mountainous regions, often emphasizes the ق (qaf) sound. This feature is shared with mountainous regions in Syria and some rural areas of Jordan.
3. Southern Lebanese subdialect:
   In the southern part of Lebanon, expressions like اسا (now) and أني (I) are distinctive markers of the local subdialect. The southern subdialect shares many features with Palestinian Arabic, such as the use of ش for negation at the end of verbs. This shared feature underscores the close linguistic ties across southern Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Syria.
4. Northern Lebanese subdialect (Tripoli and Akkar):
   The northern subdialect is fast-paced and influenced by nearby Syrian subdialects. Despite these small variations, the core grammar and vocabulary remain very similar to other Lebanese and Levantine dialects. Phrases like فينك (where are you) are typical markers of someone from the north. Additionally, northerners often pronounce the أ (a) as if it were a واو (w), such as saying عودي instead of عادي (normal). 
5. Bekaa Valley subdialect:
   The Bekaa Valley has its own unique vocabulary and phrases that reflect both its geographical isolation and its rich agricultural lifestyle. For example, a common phrase is مجوِّه الله علايك, often used as a warm invitation to a meal, and words like كرّوسة (path) are distinct to the region. Similar to the southern subdialect, negation in the Bekaa subdialect also involves adding ش at the end of verbs, in addition to using ما before the verb. For instance, instead of saying ما بعرف (I don’t know), people from the Bekaa say ما بعرفش. Additionally, the Imālah phenomenon (the shifting of the ألف to ياء) is present, so words like باب (door) are pronounced بيب in the Bekaa as well.