Differences

In principle, High Arabic and Egyptian-Arabic distinguish themselves in their use.

High Arabic is the official language in Arabic countries, meaning the written language. Egyptian-Arabic is the spoken language. The two languages use mostly the same words, which only vary slightly in sound. Should an Arab ever claim that he doesn’t understand Egyptian-Arabic, he is sure to have other motives.

High Arabic and Egyptian-Arabic have different grammatical bases as well as an individual way of using sound. Egyptian-Arabic is often thought to be a simplified version of High-Arabic. Further clarifications and examples can be found in our Explanation (pdf, German).

Which is the right course for you? If you would like to learn how to read and write, we recommend our course in High Arabic. You can always add a course in Egyptian-Arabic if you want to practice verbal communication.