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Bookmarkable answers to every Palestinian Arabic question.
Short, practical reads on pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and the culture behind the language. 71 of them, free forever.
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Best app to learn Levantine Arabic (2026): 7 apps compared
Duolingo won't teach you Levantine. Pimsleur, Mango and Tfaddalu will, each with a different accent. Which one to pick for Lebanese, Syrian or Palestinian, and what's free.
New to the dialect?
Comparing apps
Grammar· 9
GRAMMAR
3am byaakul: saying it's happening right now
The marker 3am turns 'he eats' into 'he's eating' and pins the action to this exact moment.
3 min read · 11 audio clips
GRAMMAR
There's no verb for 'have': you say it with 3ind
Palestinian has no verb for 'to have.' You hang the my/your/his endings onto 3ind and name what you've got: 3indi waqt, 3indo sayyaara.
3 min read · 11 audio clips
GRAMMAR
There's no word for 'is' in Palestinian Arabic
How to build a finished present-tense sentence with no verb for 'to be.' You set the two words side by side and you're done.
3 min read · 4 audio clips
GRAMMAR
katabt, katab, katabu: the past tense one ending at a time
Take the 'he did' form, add a short ending, and the verb tells you who acted. No separate pronoun needed.
4 min read · 3 audio clips
GRAMMAR
ra7: how to talk about tomorrow
Put ra7 in front of a bare verb and you've got 'going to': ra7 asaafer bukra, ra7 yiji 3a-s-saa3a sitte.
4 min read · 2 audio clips
GRAMMAR
There is, there isn't: fee and ma feesh
fee covers 'there is' and 'there are' without ever changing, and ma feesh says there's none. The two words you'll lean on at every shop counter.
3 min read · 8 audio clips
GRAMMAR
This, that, these: haada, haay, hadowl
The three pointing words, how they split by gender and number, and the quick hal- that clamps onto any noun.
4 min read · 5 audio clips
GRAMMAR
How to say I want in Palestinian Arabic: biddi
There's no verb for to want. You hang the my, your and his endings onto bidd, so biddi, biddak and biddo come almost free. Hear all three.
3 min read · 5 audio clips
GRAMMAR
Palestinian Arabic vs MSA: What's the Difference?
Modern Standard Arabic is what textbooks teach. Palestinian Arabic is what people actually speak. The key differences, and which one to learn first.
5 min read · 50 audio clips
Pronunciation· 6
PRONUNCIATION
How to pronounce Palestine in Arabic: falasTeen
Arabic has no 'p,' so Palestine becomes falasTeen. How to pronounce Palestine in Arabic: the f-for-p swap, the heavy T, and the long ee at the end.
7 min read · 4 audio clips
PRONUNCIATION
kh and gh: the two sounds from the back of your throat
The rasp of kh in akh and the soft gargle of gh in ghada. Two letters with no English twin, and how to make each one cleanly.
4 min read · 10 audio clips
PRONUNCIATION
3 and 7: the two throat sounds you can't skip
Two sounds English has no letter for, written 3 and 7. How each one feels in your throat, and why flattening them turns one word into another.
4 min read · 15 audio clips
PRONUNCIATION
Why it's Subu7, not Sub7: the helping vowel
Palestinian slips a short vowel into hard consonant clusters, which is why we write Subu7 and shughul with that extra e or u.
4 min read · 14 audio clips
PRONUNCIATION
Sun letters: when the l in il- disappears
Why 'the sun' comes out ish-shams and not il-shams, and how to tell which letters swallow the l in il-.
4 min read · 22 audio clips
PRONUNCIATION
Simplified Romanization: An English-Friendly Key
How Tfaddalu spells Arabic in plain English letters. The system every guide on the site uses, with a few rules to read by.
3 min read · 5 audio clips
Vocabulary· 14
VOCAB
100 unique Arabic words with meaning, every one recorded
The words English needs a whole sentence for: 7aya, raa7a, inbasaT and 97 more. Each one with audio, grouped by when you'd use it.
9 min read · 53 audio clips
VOCAB
Beautiful Arabic words with meaning, said out loud
Twelve words Palestinians say daily, not poetry lifted off a quote list. Hear each one, and learn the gesture it belongs to and who you'd say it to.
9 min read · 9 audio clips
VOCAB
Thank you in Palestinian Arabic, and what to say back
shukran works anywhere. kattar kheerak is what your family would say. Hear both, with the form for a man and for a woman, and the reply that keeps it going.
6 min read · 3 audio clips
VOCAB
Unique Arabic words with meaning you'll actually hear
The unique Arabic words with meaning that word lists miss. Untranslatable, everyday words Palestinians say a dozen times a day, with when to use each.
8 min read · 7 audio clips
VOCAB
Body parts in Palestinian Arabic, head to foot
raas, 'eed, 3een, qalb and the rest, each one recorded. The body words that come up in ordinary talk far more often than at the doctor's office.
4 min read · 6 audio clips
VOCAB
One apple or a kilo: tuffaa7 and tuffaa7a
Apples come as one word, tuffaa7, the whole pile of them. Add an -a and you've named a single one, tuffaa7a. How to ask for food, and how to count it at the market.
4 min read · 9 audio clips
VOCAB
Colors that change shape: a7mar, 7amra
The everyday colors, and why the feminine remolds the whole word instead of adding an -a.
3 min read · 9 audio clips
VOCAB
Counting your way through the week
Five of the seven Palestinian day names are just the numbers one through five, so most of the week comes free once you can count.
3 min read · 20 audio clips
VOCAB
keef 7aalak? Greetings and the how-are-you dance
mar7aba, 'ahlan, and keef 7aalak: the fixed little opening every Palestinian conversation runs through, and why the warmth of your reply beats its honesty.
3 min read · 9 audio clips
VOCAB
What do you do? Talking about jobs
mudeer, m3allem, doktowr, shoofeer: how to name your line of work, and how to ask someone about theirs.
3 min read · 8 audio clips
VOCAB
Weather talk: shams, shita, and how to grumble about it
The words for sun, rain, cold and snow, plus the verbless lines locals use to say what it's like out and complain about it.
4 min read · 7 audio clips
VOCAB
Family words in Palestinian Arabic, and how to say my
ab, imm, akh and ukht, plus the short endings that turn them into my and your. Hear each one, including the odd abooy and akhooy that break the pattern.
4 min read · 18 audio clips
VOCAB
Watching the World Cup in Palestinian Arabic
The phrases you need to follow a match with friends: who's playing, who won, and what to yell at the screen.
4 min read · 23 audio clips
VOCAB
Counting from one to ten in Palestinian Arabic
The numbers one to ten, the throat sounds English speakers trip on, and the dual ending that means 'two' without a separate word.
4 min read · 25 audio clips
Travel & daily life· 6
TRAVEL
biddi haada, law-sama7t: pointing at what you want
When you don't know the word, point. biddi haada means 'I want this one,' and law-sama7t makes it polite instead of blunt.
4 min read · 22 audio clips
TRAVEL
How to ask where something is in Palestinian Arabic
ween is where. Point it at a bus stop, a bathroom or a pharmacy, then follow the answer back with enough near, next to and far to find the place.
3 min read · 19 audio clips
TRAVEL
How to say you're sick in Palestinian Arabic
Walk into a 3iyaade and be understood: ana mareeD, where it hurts, that you've got a fever, and how to ask for medicine. Every phrase recorded.
3 min read · 8 audio clips
TRAVEL
Catching the bus: stops, drivers, and getting on
The words for finding the stop, asking the driver if his bus goes your way, and getting off at the right corner.
3 min read · 7 audio clips
TRAVEL
Ordering coffee the way you like it
Order 'ahwe or shaay, ask for it bala sukkar, and trade the little courtesy words that make the whole exchange land.
3 min read · 15 audio clips
TRAVEL
How much is it? Asking prices at the sooq
qaddeesh and 'addeesh, talking in shekels, asking for a kilo, and settling il-7saab without freezing up.
4 min read · 18 audio clips
Culture· 7
CULTURE
Palestinian vs Syrian Arabic: how different are they?
Close enough to talk all afternoon, different enough to place you in one sentence. The vowels, the q, and the everyday words that give each side away.
7 min read · 13 audio clips
CULTURE
Which Arabic dialect is closest to Palestinian?
Palestinian is a Levantine dialect, so the closest Arabic dialect is Jordanian, then Syrian and Lebanese. Egyptian and Gulf Arabic sit further out.
6 min read · 12 audio clips
CULTURE
zaaki, not Tayyeb: the words that mark you as Palestinian
A few everyday words, zaaki for tasty and 'eesh for what, that place your Arabic as Palestinian rather than Lebanese or Syrian.
5 min read · 11 audio clips
CULTURE
Why Palestinians are called abu khaled or imm khaled
Grown-ups get called father of and mother of their oldest child. How abu and imm work, when to use one, and why it often replaces a first name entirely.
4 min read · 13 audio clips
CULTURE
Offering condolences: what to say when someone dies
The phrases for a condolence visit, the verbs 3azza and akhad bi-khaaTro, and the look-alike that means you took offense.
4 min read · 4 audio clips
CULTURE
inshalla: when it means yes, and when it means no
inshalla means if God wills. Said to a kid begging for ice cream, it means no. Hear it, with il-7amdilla, walla and mabrook, and the moment each one lands.
3 min read · 9 audio clips
CULTURE
tfaDDal meaning: which form to use, and when
One word for come in, sit down, help yourself and here you go. Which form goes to a man, a woman or a group, what the guest says back, and all of it recorded.
4 min read · 16 audio clips
About the language· 29
ABOUT
ArabicPod101 review (2026): huge library, which Arabic?
ArabicPod101 has more Arabic audio than any other app, most of it Modern Standard. What the library gives you, and why it's a slow road to one spoken dialect.
6 min read · 10 audio clips
ABOUT
Does Babbel have Arabic?
No. As of September 2026 Babbel has no Arabic course at all. What a Babbel-style learner should look for instead, and the standard-or-dialect choice waiting behind that.
6 min read · 16 audio clips
ABOUT
Does Busuu have Arabic?
Yes, and it's Modern Standard Arabic. What Busuu's native-speaker corrections can and can't do for you, and what to use if the goal is a Palestinian family.
5 min read · 12 audio clips
ABOUT
Does Duolingo have Egyptian Arabic?
No. Duolingo's only Arabic course is Modern Standard Arabic. What Egyptian Arabic is, how it differs from Levantine, and what to use for each.
5 min read · 14 audio clips
ABOUT
Does Duolingo have Lebanese Arabic?
No. Duolingo's only Arabic course is Modern Standard Arabic. What Lebanese Arabic is, how close it sits to Palestinian and Syrian, and what to learn instead.
5 min read · 14 audio clips
ABOUT
Does Rosetta Stone teach Levantine Arabic?
No. Rosetta Stone's Arabic course is Modern Standard Arabic. What that means for talking to family in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan or Palestine, and what to use for Levantine instead.
6 min read · 21 audio clips
ABOUT
Duolingo alternatives for Arabic (2026)
Leaving Duolingo Arabic? The alternatives sorted by what you actually want: a spoken dialect, Modern Standard, the alphabet, a free option, or a human tutor.
5 min read · 13 audio clips
ABOUT
How many sections does Duolingo Arabic have?
Four sections, about 46 units, as of September 2026. What's in each one, whether a section 5 exists, how long the course takes, and what level you end up at.
5 min read · 7 audio clips
ABOUT
Is Duolingo good for Arabic?
Good for the alphabet and a free daily habit, weak for speaking, and it teaches Modern Standard Arabic rather than a dialect anyone talks in. The short, fair answer.
5 min read · 14 audio clips
ABOUT
Levantine Arabic: the dialect, the countries, and how to learn it
Levantine Arabic is the spoken Arabic of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. What it is, how it differs from Modern Standard and Egyptian, and how to start.
10 min read · 25 audio clips
ABOUT
Mango Languages Levantine Arabic review (2026)
Mango's Levantine Arabic course is real spoken dialect, often free with a library card. What it teaches, what a Palestinian family will notice, and where it runs thin.
6 min read · 11 audio clips
ABOUT
Memrise Arabic review (2026): good drills, which Arabic?
Memrise's drill engine and native-speaker clips are good. The official Arabic on them is the standard, and the community dialect decks are a lottery. Where it fits, and where it stops.
5 min read · 11 audio clips
ABOUT
Mondly Arabic review (2026): the chatbot teaches MSA
Mondly's Arabic chatbot gets you talking out loud, and every line it knows is Modern Standard Arabic. What that means for a conversation in Jerusalem, and what to use instead.
5 min read · 12 audio clips
ABOUT
Palestinian Arabic: what it is, how it sounds, and how to learn it
Palestinian Arabic is the southern branch of Levantine Arabic. Where it's spoken, how it differs from Modern Standard, the sounds that mark it, and an order to learn it in.
9 min read · 24 audio clips
ABOUT
Shami Arabic: what 'shami' means and which Arabic it is
Shami is the Arabic name for the Levantine dialects of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. What ish-shaam means, how Shami compares with Egyptian and Gulf, and where to start.
9 min read · 23 audio clips
ABOUT
Which Arabic dialect does Duolingo teach?
None. Duolingo teaches Modern Standard Arabic, the written form. How to spot that in the lessons, which dialect to pick instead, and when MSA is the right call.
5 min read · 14 audio clips
ABOUT
The best app to learn Palestinian Arabic
Almost nothing targets Palestinian. What the Levantine courses really give you, where their accent lands, and a five-minute test to run before you pay.
6 min read · 9 audio clips
ABOUT
Does Duolingo teach Levantine Arabic?
No. Duolingo's one Arabic course is Modern Standard, taught script-first. What that means for spoken Levantine, and what your finished units still count for.
5 min read · 6 audio clips
ABOUT
Should you learn MSA or dialect first?
Almost everyone tells you to start with Modern Standard Arabic. The case for the other order, and the goals where the standard really does come first.
6 min read · 6 audio clips
ABOUT
You understand Arabic but can't speak it
You follow every word at your grandmother's table and answer in English. Understanding and speaking are two skills, and only one of them ever got practiced.
6 min read · 9 audio clips
ABOUT
Which Arabic dialect should you learn?
Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Moroccan or Modern Standard. How to pick by who you'll actually be talking to, not by which dialect has the biggest number.
6 min read · 4 audio clips
ABOUT
How to learn Arabic quickly: what actually works
How to learn Arabic quickly: skip the alphabet and Modern Standard Arabic, pick one spoken dialect, and learn it by ear. You'll be talking in weeks.
7 min read · 20 audio clips
ABOUT
Best app to learn Arabic speaking: what actually works
The best app to learn Arabic speaking depends on which Arabic you want to speak, and whether the app ever makes you open your mouth. The honest test.
9 min read · 5 audio clips
ABOUT
Duolingo Arabic review (2026): MSA only, four sections, no speaking
Duolingo Arabic, checked in September 2026: one course, Modern Standard only, four sections, and no exercise that listens to you speak. What it's good for, and where it stops.
10 min read · 11 audio clips
ABOUT
How to speak Arabic step by step
How to speak Arabic step by step: a real order to learn in, from the two throat sounds to your first conversation, starting with a spoken dialect.
8 min read · 18 audio clips
ABOUT
Best app to learn Levantine Arabic (2026): 7 apps compared
Duolingo won't teach you Levantine. Pimsleur, Mango and Tfaddalu will, each with a different accent. Which one to pick for Lebanese, Syrian or Palestinian, and what's free.
10 min read · 11 audio clips
ABOUT
Pimsleur Arabic review: what 30 lessons get you
An honest Pimsleur Arabic review: which dialect each course teaches, what the audio-only method actually builds, and where it runs out of road.
8 min read · 3 audio clips
ABOUT
Best app to learn Arabic in 2026: an honest guide
Which is the best app to learn Arabic in 2026? It depends which Arabic you want to speak. What Duolingo, Pimsleur, Mango and Tfaddalu each actually teach.
7 min read · 7 audio clips
ABOUT
Tfaddalu vs Duolingo: which one gets you speaking Palestinian?
The big language apps drill you on standardized, written Arabic. Tfaddalu starts from the spoken Palestinian people use at home, and that one choice changes what you walk away able to do.
4 min read · 15 audio clips