Does Duolingo teach Egyptian Arabic?

Duolingo says the Arabic it teaches is Modern Standard Arabic, which it describes as not a dialect that people learn at home. For Egyptian Arabic, apps such as Pimsleur, Mango Languages, ArabicPod101, Talk In Arabic and Lahja offer Egyptian courses.

What is the best app to learn Moroccan Darija?

Among the apps on this page, Talk In Arabic and Lahja teach Moroccan Arabic as a spoken dialect, and ArabicPod101 has some Moroccan lessons. The Moroccan course on Lahja is called Moroccan Darija and covers everyday phrases recorded by native speakers.

Is Modern Standard Arabic spoken anywhere?

It is used in news broadcasts, speeches and writing, and in formal settings across the Arab world. It is not the everyday home language of any region, where people speak a local dialect.

Can I learn Levantine Arabic with an app?

Yes. Pimsleur (as Eastern Arabic), Mango Languages and Talk In Arabic offer Levantine courses. Lahja teaches Lebanese and Jordanian Arabic, which are Levantine dialects.

Which Arabic dialect should I learn first?

Learn the dialect of the people you want to talk to: your family, your partner or the country you are visiting. If you have no particular place in mind, Egyptian Arabic is widely understood because of Egyptian film and television.

Dialects / Arabic apps compared

Which App Teaches the Arabic You Actually Want? Dialects vs Standard Arabic

Most of the big language apps teach Modern Standard Arabic, which is used in news and writing but is not what people speak at home. If you want to talk with family or travel, pick an app that teaches the dialect of the place.

Standard Arabic or a dialect?

Modern Standard Arabic is the formal written language of newspapers, books, broadcasting and speeches across the Arab world. Nobody learns it as a first language. People grow up speaking a dialect, such as Egyptian, Moroccan or Lebanese. Dialects differ from each other in sound, vocabulary and grammar, and speakers from far apart regions can find each other hard to follow. Standard Arabic is the one variety that is the same everywhere, which is why many courses teach it. If your aim is to read, write or follow formal media, standard Arabic is the right target. If your aim is to chat with people, a dialect course is the one that matches how they talk.

Which Arabic each app teaches

App	Arabic it teaches	Good for
Duolingo	Modern Standard Arabic	Standard Arabic as used in news, books and formal speech
Rosetta Stone	Modern Standard Arabic	Standard Arabic as used in media, government and education
Pimsleur	Modern Standard Arabic, Egyptian Arabic and Eastern (Levantine) Arabic, as separate courses	Choosing between standard Arabic and two spoken dialects
Mango Languages	Includes Modern Standard Arabic, Levantine and Egyptian courses	Standard Arabic or a dialect, with audio from native speakers
ArabicPod101	Standard Arabic and Egyptian Arabic pathways, plus some Moroccan Arabic lessons	Audio and video lessons in standard Arabic or Egyptian
Talk In Arabic	Eight spoken dialects: Moroccan, Algerian, Egyptian, Levantine, Iraqi, Tunisian, Saudi and Sudanese	Spoken Arabic in a wide range of dialects
Lahja	10 spoken dialects with guides on this site (Moroccan Darija, Algerian, Tunisian, Libyan, Egyptian, Lebanese, Jordanian, Saudi, Emirati, Iraqi); no Modern Standard Arabic	Speaking and understanding everyday phrases; audio recorded by native speakers; iPhone

Checked against each company's own pages on 12 November 2026. Courses change, so check the app before you subscribe. Lahja is $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, with sections 1 to 3 of every dialect free.

Where Lahja is not the right choice

Lahja does not teach reading and writing the Arabic script.
Lahja does not teach Modern Standard Arabic.
Lahja is on iPhone only.

Which app for which goal

Read newspapers and books in Arabic: Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur (Modern Standard), Mango Languages or ArabicPod101.
Talk with Egyptian family or friends: Pimsleur (Egyptian), Mango Languages, ArabicPod101, Talk In Arabic or Lahja.
Speak Levantine Arabic (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria): Pimsleur (Eastern), Mango Languages, Talk In Arabic or Lahja (Lebanese and Jordanian).
Speak a Maghrebi dialect (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia): Talk In Arabic or Lahja (Moroccan Darija, Algerian and Tunisian).
Learn a Gulf dialect (Saudi, Emirati): Lahja, or Talk In Arabic for Saudi.
Learn Iraqi Arabic: Talk In Arabic or Lahja.
Learn Libyan Arabic: Lahja.

Questions people ask

Does Duolingo teach Egyptian Arabic?: Duolingo says the Arabic it teaches is Modern Standard Arabic, which it describes as not a dialect that people learn at home. For Egyptian Arabic, apps such as Pimsleur, Mango Languages, ArabicPod101, Talk In Arabic and Lahja offer Egyptian courses.
What is the best app to learn Moroccan Darija?: Among the apps on this page, Talk In Arabic and Lahja teach Moroccan Arabic as a spoken dialect, and ArabicPod101 has some Moroccan lessons. The Moroccan course on Lahja is called Moroccan Darija and covers everyday phrases recorded by native speakers.
Is Modern Standard Arabic spoken anywhere?: It is used in news broadcasts, speeches and writing, and in formal settings across the Arab world. It is not the everyday home language of any region, where people speak a local dialect.
Can I learn Levantine Arabic with an app?: Yes. Pimsleur (as Eastern Arabic), Mango Languages and Talk In Arabic offer Levantine courses. Lahja teaches Lebanese and Jordanian Arabic, which are Levantine dialects.
Which Arabic dialect should I learn first?: Learn the dialect of the people you want to talk to: your family, your partner or the country you are visiting. If you have no particular place in mind, Egyptian Arabic is widely understood because of Egyptian film and television.

Sources, checked 12 November 2026

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