Mar7aban!

A question I often get from students is, "What Arabic dialect should I learn?".

Of course, many students have a personal interest or need in a specific dialect, perhaps for work, or relocation, or family, friends, and loved ones.

But if you are interested in learning Arabic, and really being able to communicate with Arabic speakers around the world, and you don't have a pre-selected reason for learning any specific dialect, then here are some things for you to consider.

First, you might start with Modern Standard Arabic, which is called "Fus7a" in Arabic (pronounced 'FOOSE-ha'). Fus7a is similar to classical Arabic (the Quran) and is currently used as the lingua franca, or common language, among the Arab countries. It is also the form of Arabic most commonly used when writing Arabic, such as in books and newspapers, and news broadcasts are in Fus7a as well.

If you learn Fus7a, you will be able to communicate with speakers of any Arabic dialect, as well as read and write. The only problem is that some people may not feel confident in replying to you in Fus7a, as they probably don't often speak it!

Each Arabic dialect has its own charm, its own beauty, and its own personality. Lebanese Arabic is known for sounding sweet; Moroccan Arabic is rich and complex like coffee; and Egyptian is the language of the stars (Egypt is the Hollywood of the Middle East).

In a following discussion, I would like to show you a few samples of the differences between a few dialects!

What are your thoughts? What experiences have you had learning Arabic? Do you have a favorite?