Discover the Richness of Syrian Dialect with Playaling!

Syrian Arabic is not drastically different across regions but instead reflects small regional variations influenced by geography, history, and interactions with neighboring cultures. This diversity is minor and reflects the cultural tapestry of Syria, making the dialect fascinating but still highly similar to the broader Levantine family.

• Damascene (Shami): The Damascene subdialect, spoken in Damascus and its surrounding regions, is perhaps the most recognized and widely understood of all Syrian subdialects, largely due to its prevalence in Syrian media and television series. 
  • This subdialect is known for its elegant simplicity and the elongation of vowels, as in the word “lakaan” (لكان) instead of the shorter “lakan” (لكن) found in other subdialect. لكان is often used for emphasis or as a question.
  • It is also characterized by the soft ق “qaf,” which is pronounced like a glottal stop (ʔ).
  • It is often seen as the standard Syrian Arabic dialect due to its widespread use in the capital.
  • Distinct words in the Shami subdialect: درمل (Go), شحّو (Here it is), بري عليك (Well done), أوام (Quickly), بنوب (Never).
• Aleppo (Halabi): The Aleppo subdialect features some small phonetic shifts, but these are minor variations, and the subdialect remains easily understood across Syria and the Levant.
  • The Halabi subdialect is noted for its “heavy” pronunciation, such as the emphatic pronunciation of the letter “lam” (ل) in many words
  • The pronunciation of “ghain” (غ) as “kha” (خ) sometimes like in خسالة instead of غسالة (machine washer). 
  • Additionally, It uses “e” sounds where other subdialects might use “a” like كتيب where other dialects say كتاب (book). 
  • The dialect also features the use of عب “ʿab” before a verb to indicate the present tense and دا “da” before a verb to indicate the future tense.
  • for example عبكتب (I’ll write) دا أكتب (I’m writing).
  • Distinct words in the Halabi dialect: طاول (Not at all), سيوي (Straight), إشبك (What’s wrong with you), كهنه (Here it is).
• Coastal (Lazqi and Tartoussi): Spoken in Latakia, Tartus, and surrounding areas, these dialects show significant influence from Lebanese Arabic, particularly as you move closer to the Lebanese border. 
  • The coastal subdialects are known for their soft pronunciation,
  • where the letter “qaf” (ق) is often pronounced as [insert audio] instead of [insert audio]. Furthermore, these dialects tend to use more melodious intonations, reflecting the laid-back, maritime culture of the Syrian coast.
  • In some areas of Baniyas and Latakia, people tend to excessively stretch out vowels and pronounce the “qaf” as a glottal stop (ʔ), as in the phrase: ئرصتو دبانة  (“a fly bit him”).
  • In most rural coastal areas, the dialect is rougher and more forceful, with several unique features:

• Negation: The prefix أ is used before verbs to indicate negation, e.g., أبدي instead of ما بدي (I don’t want), and أبعرف instead of ما بعرف (I don’t know).
• Present tense: The letter م is used at the beginning of verbs to indicate the present tense, e.g., ميقلي instead of عم يقلي (he is telling me), and ميكتب instead of عم يكتب (he is writing).
• Pronouns: هنا is used instead of أنا (I), and هنتا is used instead of أنتَ (you).

• Distinct words in the Coastal dialect: زمَّيتي (Severe cold), قَيِّد (Record/Write), عَيِّن (Look/Observe), بالمرّة (Never/At all).

While coastal subdialects show minor variations in pronunciation, such as the use of ‘qaf’ and unique negation forms, they share a common foundation with other Levantine subdialects, making them mutually intelligible across the region.

• Homs and Hama: The subdialects spoken in Homs and Hama, central Syrian cities, share similarities but also have distinct traits. 
  • In both Homs and Hama, the letter “qaf” is pronounced like a glottal stop (ʔ), similar to Damascene. 
  • The Hama subdialect closely resembles Damascene, particularly in elongating the “ي” at the end of words. like in the word ولا شي which means nothing.
  • The Homs subdialect is known for starting words with a pronounced “u” sound, like ئُلتلو instead of قْلتلو. However, these are small variations, and overall, the subdialect shares many similarities with the Levantine subdialects.
  • Additionally, in the Homsi subdialect, an أ is added before the possessive ي so they say “ʿalay” (علاي) instead of “ʿalayy” (عليي) for “on me.”
  • Distinct words: شوية اللخر (In a little while), خمّلت (I thought), دشرو (Leave him alone).
• Eastern (Deiri and Raqqawi): These subdialects, spoken in the eastern regions of Syria, including Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa. Although the eastern subdialects have some influence from Iraqi Arabic due to geographical proximity, it shares many core elements of vocabulary and grammar with other Levantine subdialects.
  • The Eastern Syrian subdialects are known for their distinctive phonetic traits, such as the use of the “ch” sound for the letter “kaf” (ك), and unique vocabulary influenced by Bedouin and Iraqi Arabic. 
  • Distinct words: بحيل وميل (Extremely a lot), جويدة (Beautiful), شبيك (What’s wrong with you), تسوى قلبي (You are equal to my heart – a phrase of love and affection), غادي (Over there).
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• Southern (Haurani): The subdialects in the southern regions of Syria, such as in Daraa (Hauran), share features with Jordanian and Palestinian Arabic, reflecting the close cultural ties within the Levant. 
  • The Haurani subdialect, spoken in Daraa, is known for pronouncing ق “qaf” like “g” in “dog,” a feature common across Jordan, Syria, and Palestine.
  • Distinct words: أخظ (Take), هاي (This – feminine), هاظا (This – masculine).
• Shaawi: The Shaawi subdialect is an ancient subdialect, considered one of the closest to Classical Arabic. Many of its vocabulary words can be found among the people of the Arabian Peninsula, including Yemen, the Arabian Gulf, Jordan, Palestine, and the Bedouins of Lebanon. 
  • The Shaawi subdialect is spoken among tribes in the Sinai Peninsula and various cities along the banks of the Euphrates River in Syria and Iraq, particularly in the following rural areas of Syria: Raqqa Province, the countryside of Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor, Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, Palmyra, Damascus, and Quneitra.
  • Additionally, the Shaawi subdialect incorporates some words of Turkish origin, such as “khashoqa” (خاشوقة) meaning “spoon,” “karooza” (كروزة) meaning “paved road,” and “jinjeeq” (جنجيق) meaning “glass.”
• Northern and Rural: In the northern countryside, particularly in the province of Hasakah and the Euphrates region, the subdialects exhibit a unique blend of influences due to the area’s diverse cultural makeup. Among the Kurdish and Assyrian communities, as well as in the general population, you’ll find Syrian Arabic mixed with significant influences from Kurdish, Turkish, and Assyrian languages. One notable subdialect in this region is the Jazrawi, also known as the Mhalmiyah or Mardali subdialect, which is heavily influenced by Assyrian and Kurdish languages. 
  • This subdialect, used in Hasakah and the surrounding areas, incorporates a distinctive blend of vocabulary and expressions from these languages, making it a unique subset within Syrian Arabic.
  • Rearranging letters within words: For instance, (عصفور) becomes (عفصور), and (رأيت) is pronounced (اريت).
  • Substitution of “s” (سين) with “ṣ” (صاد) when followed by “n”: For example, “sinnour” (سنور) becomes “ṣinnour” (صنور), meaning “cat.”
  • Pronunciation of “qaf” (قاف) correctly and distinctly: The letter “qaf” is pronounced as it is in Standard Arabic, maintaining its unique sound. Additionally, in the past tense, the verb endings are often modified, such as (قلت) becoming (قلتو).
• Jabali: The Jabali subdialect, spoken by the Druze community in Suwayda is characterized by its preservation of more classical Arabic features. 
  • Unlike many other Syrian subdialects, Jabali maintains the original pronunciation of the “qaf” (ق) as it is in Standard Arabic.
  • Additionally, it retains the original pronunciations of the interdentals (ظ) and (ث), setting it apart from other regional subdialects. This subdialect is an integral part of the cultural identity of the Druze community in the mountainous region of Suwayda.
  • It uses the letter “sh” for the negation of the verbs instead of the more common ما found in other Syrian subdialects. For example, they say بعرفش instead of ما بعرف to mean “I don’t know.”
  • it uses مش before the nouns adjectives and adverbs for negation instead of مو or ما found in other Syrian subdialects. for example they say مش حلو instead of ما حلو or  مو حلو.
  • Distinct words:أني (I), حيّاك الله (A phrase of welcome), يا سندي (A phrase expressing love and affection, meaning “my support” or “my backbone”).

Syrian Arabic, in all its diversity, reflects the country’s complex history and multicultural heritage. Each region’s subdialect offers a window into the local culture, history, and social dynamics, making the learning process not just about mastering a language but also about understanding the intricate layers of Syrian society.