Arabic dialects / Algerian Arabic
🇩🇿 Learn Algerian Arabic
Algerian Arabic, known as Darja, is the everyday language of Algeria and of a large diaspora in France. It shares a lot with Moroccan and Tunisian, and has a strong character of its own.
What makes Algerian Arabic distinct
- French words run through daily conversation after more than a century of French rule.
- Tamazight underlies its sounds and vocabulary, as it does across the Maghreb.
- Turkish and Spanish left traces, with Spanish strongest around Oran.
Essential Algerian Arabic phrases
These come straight from the first sections of Lahja’s Algerian Arabic course.
| English | Say it | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | salam | سلام |
| How are you? | wash rak | واش راك |
| What's your name? | wash ismak | واش اسمك |
| Thank you | ya3tik es-sahha | يعطيك الصحة |
| Please | allah y3ishak | الله يعيشك |
| I love you | nhabek | نحبك |
| Let's go | iya nruhu | ايا نروحو |
| How much? | bsh7al | بشحال |
| Delicious | bnina | بنينة |
| No problem | makaynsh mushkil | ماكاينش مشكل |
In the spelling, 3 is the letter ayn, 7 is a breathy h, 2 is a glottal stop, 5 is kh and 9 is qaf.
Lahja’s Algerian Arabic course
- 54 words and phrases across 7 sections
- 29 of those have recordings by native speakers so far, with more being added
- Short lessons, practice rounds and a test for each section
- Sections 1 to 3 are free. Pro is $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial
Best for: Algerian heritage speakers and anyone connected to Algerian family in France or at home.
Questions about learning Algerian Arabic
- Is Algerian Arabic different from Modern Standard Arabic?
- Yes. Algerian Arabic is the spoken language of Algeria, with its own pronunciation, grammar and everyday words. Modern Standard Arabic is the formal written language, so learning it alone will not prepare you for ordinary conversation in Algeria.
- How do I start learning Algerian Arabic?
- Start with greetings and everyday phrases you can use straight away, and listen to native speakers as often as you can. Lahja’s Algerian Arabic course has 54 words and phrases across 7 sections, in five minute lessons.
- Is the Algerian Arabic course free?
- Sections 1 to 3 are free and stay free. Lahja Pro unlocks the rest for $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial.
- Does the course use native Algerian Arabic speakers?
- Yes. 29 of the 54 words in this course have recordings by native speakers so far, and more are being added.
Other dialects
Lahja teaches 11 dialects in all, including: