Arabic Dialects

Arabic language is divided into Standard Arabic and various local Arabic dialects attributed mainly to each Arabic country. Yet, you could find many different local Arabic dialects in one country. Standard Arabic is the language of the Qur’an (Moslems’ Holy Book) from which Modern Standard Arabic stems.

Almost all Arabic news channels, literature, manuals, school textbooks, newspapers, and formal communication among governmental and business entities are performed in Standard Arabic. Nevertheless, when you visit any Arabic country you will hear the people of that country speaking their own local dialect, which in turn stems from Standard Arabic sharing up to 90 percent of its words and structures varying from one country to another. Movies and TV shows, on the other hand, are mainly spoken in the local dialect of the producer country, except for documentaries and political talk shows which mainly perform in Standard Arabic.

Most Arabs understand, in general, dialects of other Arab countries with some exceptions; local Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian dialects contain numerous French terms that were domesticated and embraced along and after the long years of their French occupation that imposed French language. Unless natives of these countries simplify their dialect by using mainly Standard Arabic or even a more common Arabic dialect such as Egyptian, it would be very difficult for Arabs of other Arabic countries to fully understand what they’re saying. Not to mention that there are other languages used on a large scale in these countries, such as the Berber languages in Morocco.

Although the court certification written and oral tests are conducted in Modern Standard Arabic, a certified interpreter would mainly use local dialects while interpreting for various Arabic-speaking persons. Usually formal conferences and media events would almost be the only suitable place for interpreting in Standard Arabic. All kinds of written translations, however, are only performed in Standard Arabic which requires a high level of efficiency in grammar and linguistic knowledge.

All our professional interpreters and translators speak and write Standard Arabic in addition to local dialects such as:

Egyptian, Lebanese, Jordanian, Syrian, Palestinian, Qatari, Omani, Saudi, Yemeni, Iraqi, Libyan, Bahraini, Kuwaiti, Mauritanian, Yemeni, Moroccan, Tunisian, Sudanese, Somali, Emirate

Two simple examples of discrepancy in different Arabic Dialects would be the following:

English Sentence:	I want	to drink	water
Standard Arabic Transliteration	Ureedu	an ashraba	ma’an
Egyptian Transliteration:	Awez	ashrab	mayya
Syrian Transliteration:	Beddy	eshrab	Mayy
Saudi Transliteration:	Abgha / Areed	Ashrab	Mayyeh
Moroccan Transliteration:	Bghit	Neshrab	Elma

 

English Sentence:	I can’t	Tell you	That
Standard Arabic Transliteration	La Aqdiru / La Astatee’u	An Akula Laka	Hatha
Egyptian Transliteration:	Ma’darshi	A’ullak	Dah
Syrian Transliteration:	Ma be’der / Ma feeni	Ellak	Hada
Saudi Transliteration:	Ma Agdare	Agullak	Hautha
Moroccan Transliteration:	Mabghitch	Ngullik	Hatha

Map and Flags of Arabic Countries