Learn Palestinian Arabic, step by step
A free written course of spoken Palestinian Arabic in 100 short lessons, from your very first marḥaba to level B1. Every lesson gives you a dialogue, the new words, one grammar point and exercises that correct themselves.
- 100 lessons
- A1 → A2 → B1
- Exercises in every lesson
- No Arabic script needed
- Free, no sign-up
How each lesson works
- Read the dialogueRead it two or three times without worrying about grammar. Let the sentences sink in.
- Learn the new wordsTen to fifteen words a lesson — never more than you can keep.
- One grammar pointA short rule with examples, explained after you have met it in the dialogue.
- PractiseExercises that correct themselves, then a summary of what you can now say.
Then do what no written page can do for you: listen and repeat. That is what the LIMBA audio course is made for.
Three levels, ten units
The course covers the A1, A2 and B1 program. Reaching each level also takes listening and speaking practice — that is the job of the audio course.
How to read the Arabic in this course
Spoken Palestinian Arabic is written here in Latin letters, the way people say it in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Nablus. You do not need the Arabic alphabet. A few signs to know:
| ā ē ī ō ū | A line on top makes the vowel long: bēt "house". |
| ʾ | A catch in the throat, as in "uh-oh". In the city it replaces the letter q: ʾahwe "coffee". |
| ʿ | The sound ʿayn, squeezed from the throat: ʿarabi "Arabic". |
| ḥ | A strong, breathy h from deep in the throat: ḥabībi "my dear". |
| kh · gh | kh as in Scottish "loch"; gh like a French r. |
| ṣ ṭ ḍ ẓ | "Dark" s, t, d and z, said with the tongue pulled back: ṣabāḥ "morning". |
| sitt | A doubled letter is held longer. |
All 100 lessons
Unit 1: Hello!
A1Lessons 1 to 10
Unit 2: People and family
A1Lessons 11 to 20
Unit 3: Everyday life: the present
A1Lessons 21 to 30
Unit 4: Numbers, time and the market
A1Lessons 31 to 40
Unit 5: Out and about
A2Lessons 41 to 50
Unit 6: Hospitality
A2Lessons 51 to 60
Unit 7: Health, shopping and plans
A2Lessons 61 to 70
Unit 8: Work, studies and stories
B1Lessons 71 to 80
Unit 9: Feelings and opinions
B1Lessons 81 to 90
Unit 10: Palestine and the diaspora
B1Lessons 91 to 100
Questions
Is the course really free?
Yes. The 100 written lessons and their exercises are free, with no sign-up. The audio course is a separate product that you download.
Which Arabic does it teach?
Spoken Palestinian Arabic as it is used in the cities of central Palestine — Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus — and by Palestinian families around the world. It belongs to the Levantine family, so it is widely understood in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria too. It is not Modern Standard Arabic, the written language of books and the news.
Do I need to read the Arabic alphabet?
No. Everything is written in Latin letters with a few extra signs, explained above and on the sounds page.
My family is Palestinian but I never learned to speak. Is this for me?
Yes. The course follows Lina, a Palestinian-American who understands a little but never dared to speak, during a year in Ramallah. Start at lesson 1 even if you understand a lot: the lessons are short.
How does it work with the audio course?
The written lessons explain; the 67 audio lessons make you hear the language and say it. Read a lesson here, then listen and repeat.
How long does the course take?
A lesson takes 20 to 40 minutes. At three or four lessons a week, you reach lesson 100 in about six to eight months.