A1Before you start · read this once, come back any time
How to read and say Palestinian Arabic
This course writes spoken Palestinian Arabic in Latin letters, exactly as people say it in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Nablus. Ten minutes here and you can read every lesson.
Vowels: short and long
A line on top of a vowel makes it long. Hold it a little longer, and do not add a glide: bēt is not "bait-ee", just a long, clean "e".
| Letter | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | "a" in "cat" (deeper next to ṣ ṭ ḍ ẓ, kh, gh and r) | walad "boy" |
| ā | the same, long | bāb "door" |
| e | "e" in "bed" | inte "you" (to a man) |
| ē | a long "e", as in "fiancé" | bēt "house" |
| i | "i" in "sit" | bint "girl" |
| ī | "ee" in "see" | kbīr "big" |
| o | "o" in "port", short | bēto "his house" |
| ō | a long "o", as in French "beau" | yōm "day" |
| u | "u" in "put" | ukht "sister" |
| ū | "oo" in "food" | ṣūra "picture" |
The sounds English does not have
Most consonants are read as in English: b, d, f, k, l, m, n, s, t, w, y, z, sh (as in "shoe") and j (as in "jam", often softer, as in "measure"). The r is rolled, as in Spanish. Eight sounds need practice:
| Sign | How to make it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ʾ | A catch in the throat, the break in "uh-oh". In the city it is how people say the letter q. | ʾahwe "coffee", suʾāl "question" |
| ʿ | ʿayn: tighten the throat as if lifting something heavy and let a voiced sound through. | ʿarabi "Arabic", maʿ "with" |
| ḥ | A strong, breathy h, as if fogging up a window, from deep in the throat. Not the same as h. | ḥabībi "my dear" — compare hōn "here" |
| kh | Like "ch" in Scottish "loch" or German "Bach". | khubz "bread" |
| gh | Like the French or German r, gargled lightly. | ghāli "expensive" |
| ṣ ṭ ḍ | "Dark" s, t and d: the tongue is pulled back and the sound is heavier. The vowel next to them sounds deeper. | ṣabāḥ "morning", ṭāwle "table" |
| ẓ | A dark z, found in a few words. | maẓbūṭ "right, correct" |
| q | A k said far back in the throat. You will meet it only in a few formal words: in everyday city speech that letter is said ʾ. | — |
Double letters, the article, the stress
Double letters are held longer
A doubled consonant is pronounced longer, and it can change the meaning: ḥamām "pigeons", but ḥammām "bathroom".
The word for "the" melts into some words
"The" is il-: il-bēt "the house". Before sounds made with the tip of the tongue it becomes that sound: ish-shams "the sun", is-sūʾ "the market". Lesson 17 explains it.
Stress
The course does not mark stress. A good rule of thumb: stress the syllable with a long vowel (kbīr, ṣabāḥ); in words without one, listen to the audio course.
Quick check
1Which sign is it?
The catch in the throat of "uh-oh"
ʾ is the catch; ʿ is the voiced throat sound.
The strong, breathy h from deep in the throat
ḥ is breathy and deep; h is the ordinary English h.
The "ch" of Scottish "loch"
A long vowel
Length is always shown with a line on top, never by doubling the vowel.
2Bathroom or pigeons?
Which word means "bathroom"?
The double m is held longer.
How is "the sun" said?
il- melts into sh: ish-shams.