Arabic dialects / Emirati Arabic
🇦🇪 Learn Emirati Arabic
Emirati Arabic is the Gulf dialect of the UAE. Residents of Dubai and Abu Dhabi often go years without learning it, because so much of daily life happens in English, which makes speaking it stand out.
What makes Emirati Arabic distinct
- Trade across the Gulf brought in Persian, Hindi and Urdu words.
- It has its own everyday words, such as bezaat for money, that other Arabic speakers may not use.
- The letter ج can be pronounced as a y sound among local speakers.
Essential Emirati Arabic phrases
These come straight from the first sections of Lahja’s Emirati Arabic course.
| English | Say it | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | marhaba | مرحبا |
| How are you? | shḥālak | شحالك؟ |
| What's your name? | shū ismak | شو اسمك؟ |
| Thank you | shukran | شكراً |
| Please | dakhilak | دخيلك |
| I love you | aḥibbak | أحبك |
| Let's go | yalla | يلا |
| How much? | bkam hatha | بكم هذا؟ |
| Delicious | latheeth | لذيذ |
| No problem | mob moshkila | مب مشكلة |
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 Emirati Arabic course
- 54 words and phrases across 7 sections
- 50 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: UAE residents, professionals in the Gulf, and people with Emirati family.
Questions about learning Emirati Arabic
- Is Emirati Arabic different from Modern Standard Arabic?
- Yes. Emirati Arabic is the spoken language of the United Arab Emirates, 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 the United Arab Emirates.
- How do I start learning Emirati Arabic?
- Start with greetings and everyday phrases you can use straight away, and listen to native speakers as often as you can. Lahja’s Emirati Arabic course has 54 words and phrases across 7 sections, in five minute lessons.
- Is the Emirati 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 Emirati Arabic speakers?
- Yes. 50 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: