Arabic basics Archives

Arabic for specific purposes

ماشي الحال (mashi el-hal) — The “it’s okay” that says a lot

Suppose you spend time in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, or Palestine. In that case, you’ll quickly hear people say ماشي الحال. It literally means “the situation

How to say ... in Arabic?

خير انشالله (khair inshallah) — The many shades of a classic Levantine phrase

If you spend time with people from Syria, Lebanon, or Palestine, Jordan, you’ll hear خير انشالله often. Literally, it means “Good, God willing” — but

Arabic for specific purposes

فيه إيه؟ (fih eh) — The Egyptian Way to Say “What’s Going On?”

If you’ve spent any time around Egyptians, you’ve almost certainly heard فيه ايه — a short, catchy phrase that Egyptians use all the time. It

Tips for learning Arabic

Understanding Colloquial Arabic: A Beginner’s Guide

If you’ve started learning Arabic, you may have faced a common surprise: after months of studying Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), you realize that Arabs don’t

Tips for learning Arabic

What’s the Best Online Resource for Learning Levantine Arabic?

If you have ever attempted to learn Arabic, you have undoubtedly observed that the majority of available resources concentrate on Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or

Arab culture and history

Expressing Condolences in Arabic: A Comprehensive Guide

When it comes to تعزية (giving condolences), language is much more than just words—it’s a heartfelt bridge connecting individuals in times of grief. The Arabic

Tips for learning Arabic

Arabic Roots: Their Importance and How to Identify Them

Arabic is a language built on a system of roots, offering both structure and elegance. The concept of roots is central to understanding both standard

How to say ... in Arabic?

Mutual Intelligibility of Arabic Dialects: Can They Understand Each Other?

When people talk about the Arabic language, they often imagine a single, unified tongue spoken from Morocco to Iraq. But anyone who’s actually tried to

Arabic for specific purposes

Exploring Adjectives in Arabic

Adjectives in the Arabic language add depth and detail to descriptions, helping to express qualities, quantities, and states in conversations and written language. In this

Arab culture and history

Learning Egyptian Arabic Through Food: Essential Vocabulary

If you’re learning Egyptian Arabic, diving into food vocabulary is a tasty way to improve your language skills while immersing in the culture. Let’s get