# Eastern Arabic or Modern Arabic Stadard or Gulf Arabic?



## wfcp (Jul 8, 2016)

I am considering moving to the UAE, so I wanted to just pick up a few simple words. I also find the Arabic script quite nice. However, then I found out that online you can study Egypt Arabic, Modern Arabic Standard, and Easter Arabic, etc?

So what kind of Arabic that is normally taught is spoken or most useful in the UAE or in the immediate region when traveling like a tourist (Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Iran). Any difference between different UAE emirates in which Arabic is used?

Is it useful at all to know how to read a few things in Arabic (e.g. how to read toilet or something simple) or to know how to say basic things like excuse me, thank you, or is it completely useless when living in the UEA, and people could laugh at you?

What would you recommend based on staying in the UEA for quite some time? Maybe you also tried to learn Arabic and gave up or mastered it. All advice would be useful.


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## LesFroggitts (Dec 30, 2013)

Learning Arabic to whatever level is a good thing, although you'll hardly ever need it here. All signage is bi-lingual - can't remember the last time I saw something solely in Arabic.

Yes, there are dialect differences between the Arabic nations, even around the Gulf, I know of differences in words between UAE and Qatar and they're less than one hour flying time apart.

Choose to learn in the country you're in, it'll be more appropriate.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

And to add to the above, Standard Arabic is the way to go in the gulf.


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## omar92 (Oct 8, 2013)

MSA is the best way to go. 
Not only will you be able to make yourself understood in many countries, but it is proper Arabic. Learning MSA will allow you to understand the basic grammar and language structure, and is absolutely essential if you want to have a firm grasp of Arabic. Gulf Arabic dialects , or UAE Arabic is a vernacular, patois-like form of Arabic. You can always pick up a few key phrases and words if you like, but I wouldn't recommend learning it outright. 
The Arabic used in print-newspapers, signs etc. is MSA.


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## Jasmine_Flower (Aug 26, 2012)

Arabic of each country is completely different colloquial wise... but grammar more or less the same. If you travelling just to UAE, you seriously dont need it. Everyone speaks English mainly. MSA is formal Arabic spoken on the news and in newspapers and in academia. No one really speaks it on the street... but if you used it in Dubai, no one would laugh at you. But I wouldnt use it in say Egypt to a layman on the street. He either wont understand or just stare at you in the face wondering what planet (or era) you came from. MSA is quite formal and classical. Difference between say slang and shakespeare.


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## wfcp (Jul 8, 2016)

Thank you for your replies, that was very informative. I have a few additional question regarding the use of Arabic in the UAE.


When a UAE national speaks to Egyptian (e.g. at work) what kind of Arabic will they use? Will they speak Modern Standard Arabic or Egyptian Arabic or Gulf Arabic?

Does the Eastern Arabic spoken in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria have any relevance in the Gulf? Would a UAE national speak Eastern Arabic or MSA to Jordanians?

What happens when you are in Oman; would they understand simple MSA (e.g. beginner level) or would they prefer me to speak Eastern Arabic?

Finally, all the signs (e.g. name of the cities, exit signs at airport), ID card, newspapers are mostly written in MSA in the UAE and everywhere else (e.g. also in Egypt)?

I am aware that most signs are in English and Arabic, and knowing English would be sufficient. I just want to challenge myself to: (a) read a few words, the signs, names of the cities, or names of people in Arabic and (b) being able to understand vaguely the context of what is going on when Arabic people speak; I don't really want to speak much myself.


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## omar92 (Oct 8, 2013)

wfcp said:


> Thank you for your replies, that was very informative. I have a few additional question regarding the use of Arabic in the UAE.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Generally, when people of different nationalities speak Arabic to one another, people will use their own dialect BUT generally take out any terms that the other person isn't likely to understand. They sort of generalize it. A citified Moroccan and a citified Egyptian can easily understand each other. 
People do not use formal i.e. MSA unless it is a very formal context. Some very religious Muslims speak it on an every day basis as they perceive it as 'authentic.' It is a sort of affectation. These sort of nuances are part of the culture and absolutely relevant to learning Arabic. 

As a Westerner and a non native speaker you would be something of a novelty and 'forgiven' for speaking MSA. 
To go native in any dialect would require full immersion. In Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, it is certainly easy, and I have seen plenty of foreigners (very gifted at acquiring languages though, and hard workers) who pick up Egyptian Arabic complete with nuances and cultural references, with the help of formal intensive language training. They all learn MSA as well. It gives them a solid grounding in language, allows them to read and write (esp if they are academics, or journalists, or want to work for the State Department). I have never heard of an institution teaching 'only' colloquial. 
Due to the social dynamics of the UAE, it is very unlikely you will get the exposure necessary to be truly proficient in the UAE dialect and culture (unless you are marrying a UAE national etc). 
MSA is a very solid place to start from-and yes, anything printed should be in MSA. Of course there are now novels written in colloquial, and people on social media use colloquial too, but for the signs, landing cards, airport announcements, company websites, brochures are all MSA.


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## Jasmine_Flower (Aug 26, 2012)

Adding to ehat brother Omar92 said, Yes Arabs speak their own dialect when speaking to each other, and they mostly understand each other, because of the regularity of the interaction between Arabic speakers of different dialects, both tend to eventually understand what that strange word is in context of the conversation and what is being said. To give you an idea of how rarely MSA is used on the street and its level in terms of the linguistic register (difficulty), on an Arabic TV channel few days ago (Abu Dhabi Channel) there was a reality TV show and there were 5 I think different presenters and all had their own dialect. 2 were Emirati, 1 was Moroccan and the other 2 were Egyptian. They all used their own dialect and each understood each other or more or less. Then one of them had to do a little game dare thing where he was told to do a task and whilst doing the task, he had to do other things, making him multitask and pushing him to see how he wud perform. I cant remember exactly what he was told to do but he had to cook a dish from ingredients on a table and he had a limited amount of time and whilst doing that in the limited amount of time, he had to listen to music whilst discussing what he was doing/cooking and then he was told read a book whilst trying to cook this dish...and the last thing he had to do whilst cooking was to switch from speaking in Emirati to MSA! It was hard for him and he kept slipping into Emirati Arabic. So gives you an idea about linguistic level of MSA and dialect. So everyone speaks their own dialect and altho you can switch and speak the dialect of the one your speaking to, its hard to do and keep up and its not natural... so each just use their own. 



wfcp said:


> Thank you for your replies, that was very informative. I have a few additional question regarding the use of Arabic in the UAE.
> 
> 
> When a UAE national speaks to Egyptian (e.g. at work) what kind of Arabic will they use? Will they speak Modern Standard Arabic or Egyptian Arabic or Gulf Arabic?
> ...


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