Egyptian Arabic

Egyptian Arabic is spoken by about 50 million people in Egypt as well as by immigrant Egyptian communities in the Middle East, Europe and North America. Egyptian Arabic is perhaps the most widely understood variety of Arabic, thanks to the popularity of Egyptian-made films and TV shows

Arabic was brought to Egypt by the Muslim conquest of 7th century AD. It was influenced by the Coptic language, a descendant of Ancient Egyptian which was spoken alongside Arabic until about the 17th century in parts of Egypt, and also by Turkish.

Cairene Arabic, the dialect of Egyptian capital, Cairo, is the most prestigious form of Egyptian Arabic, and is used in political cartoons, advertising, song lyrics and plays, and occasionally in informal correspondence and dialog in fiction. Modern Standard Arabic is used for other purposes.

Egyptian Arabic pronunciation

Consonants

Egyptian Arabic consonants

Vowels

Arabic vowels

Information about Egyptian Arabic pronunciation compiled by Wolfram Siegel

Egyptian Arabic numbers

Sample text in Egyptian Arabic

Listen to a recording of this text

Transliteration

ʔil-madda ʔil-ʔawwalaniyya ʔil-baniʔadmiin kulluhum mawluudiin ħurriin wi mitsawwyiin fil-k?r??m? wil-ħuʔuuʔ. ʔitwahab-luhum ʔil-ʕ?ʔl wiḍ-ḍ?miir wil-m?fruuḍ yiʕamlu b?ʕḍ bi-ruuħ ʔil-ʔuxuwiyya.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Useful phrases in Egyptian Arabic

Arabic language learning materials