Have you been binging on YouTube lately? Hopefully not in English! To supplement your normal Arabic lessons, YouTube videos in your target language can be of immense help.  YouTube is a fantastic tool for language learning, more so than most people give it credit for.  And when you’re studying a world language like Arabic, you’ll practically be spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding what to watch. There’s seriously something out there for everybody!  Interested in gaming? Arabic gamers. Food? You betcha. Documentaries? Right there with you.  And even if you’re just beginning to get comfortable with Arabic, there are still fantastic free resources on Arabic YouTube channels to guide you along the way—including one that you’ll... Show more

Before too long in your Arabic studies, people are going to ask you a simple question: "Which dialect are you going for?" Well, it sounds simple. But there’s a lot under the surface. For example, how many different Arabic dialects are there? Where are they spoken, and where are they understood? Who teaches what dialects? These questions don’t have easy answers. Learning more about this topic, though, will help you see a broader picture of Arab culture and history in general—and we’ll tell you up front that no matter which dialect you choose, you will be richer for it. Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE!(Logged-In Member Only) Table of Contents An Overview of the Arabic Language,... Show more

Did anybody ever tell you that grammar is beautiful? Not the sounds of a language, nor the calligraphy on a page, but the grammar itself? Then clearly nobody has told you about Arabic grammar. In this lesson, we're going to show you the ins and outs of Arabic pronouns—the words for saying "I," "you," "this," "that," "he," "she," and so on. English only takes it a little bit beyond there. Arabic, by contrast, takes it significantly further. There are subtle distinctions and possibilities in Arabic that go well beyond what English is capable of. Did you know, for instance, that in Arabic there's a special pronoun for talking to just two people? It's called the dual pronoun, and it's just one of the surprises waiting for you. ... Show more

Imagine a profile in a world-class international journal. The subject? You. "Speaks near-perfect Arabic," reads the article. "Listeners remark not only on the rich word choice, but also the extremely accurate pronunciation." "The only flaw is that the actual order of words is incomprehensible, requiring all listeners to rack their brains in order to understand the intended meaning." Would that be very flattering? No. And that's why you absolutely must study Arabic word order if you want to be remembered for your Arabic. As in every question about learning Arabic, the differences between Modern Standard Arabic and colloquial varieties do pop up here. Word order is yet another one of the distinctions, with some pretty hefty... Show more

Have you gotten a nice compliment recently? The right compliment, delivered genuinely, can make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. That's exactly the feeling you want to be giving locals when you're speaking to them in Arabic. A polite and well-placed compliment in Arabic is going to be an absolute hit anywhere, from the boardroom to the hotel lounge. So why is a word of praise in Arabic so highly valued? First, Arab culture values expansive and literary-sounding compliments. If you can take care of the language side, you'll come across as very well-read and educated. Second, a foreigner who can speak good Arabic is still a rarity in today's world. You'll very much stand out from the crowd and make yourself remembered. So how do you go... Show more

Many foreigners throughout the years have gotten high praise for speaking "correct" Arabic. And many others have spoken "broken" Arabic. Obviously, there are a lot of things that could go into that distinction, but one of the most important is grammatical gender. If you get those word endings wrong on nouns, adjectives, and verbs, you’ll still be understood—but it’ll sound strange. That’s not a word you want to associate with your Arabic level! If you’re not yet comfortable with word gender in Arabic, don’t worry. Simply read on, and let the knowledge come to you. Table of Contents What is Grammatical Gender? The Arabic Noun Gender System: See a Word, Guess its Gender Gender in Arabic Pronouns and Verbs Plural Nouns Noun... Show more

A lot of people stereotype Arabic as an "angry language." What does that even mean? They’re only talking about how it sounds. Anybody who knows any Arabic understands that it’s a language famous for its poetry and scripture, with elegant, untranslatable words for love and beauty. But Arabs get angry too. And in this article, we’ll guide you through the process of using the Arabic language to talk about frustration and anger, and even share with you some juicy insults. You won’t find any vulgar curse words here—those are members-only at ArabicPod101.com. This is just a list of angry Arabic phrases to get you started. Since this topic is personal and emotional, we’re using a lot of colloquial Arabic phrases. It may not all be perfect... Show more

Language is really about making connections. If you know how to chat with somebody about the weather or the food you’re eating, well, good for you. That might lead to an interesting conversation. But when you know a little bit more about your target language culture, and you can pull out the right phrase for the right situation (like how to wish a happy birthday in Arabic), you show that you’ve gone beyond just knowing a handful of words. And when that phrase is about some major life event, something that really has an emotional effect on somebody? That’s when you make a fantastic impression. So that’s what this article is all about: the absolute essential phrases that you need in Arabic to show somebody that you care, no matter... Show more

There are two things that make for a fantastic language-learning environment. The first is people chatting naturally, as actual people do, without any kind of stilted usage meant for learners. No "How are you?" "I’m fine, thank you." You want: "Hey, what’s up?" "Hey." Or, you know, that in Arabic. The second is to have something interesting to care about. If you’re not interested in what’s happening, and you don’t care which way it ends up at the end, your mind won’t be focused enough to really remember what you’re picking up language-wise. Watching Arabic shows on Netflix—long and engaging—is seriously one of the best things you can do for yourself. And when you think of great television in 2019, you probably think of Netflix. So... Show more

When you consider studying a new language, you never really think about all the little bits and pieces you have to learn. For instance, the "conjunction" meaning in Arabic. Arabic learners think longingly of the beautiful script, the challenging sounds, and the rich literary vocabulary. Mastering all the uses of how to say "and" ranks pretty low on people’s lists. But here’s the thing—you can change your mindset about this. You can treat these little bits of grammar as stepping stones to producing elegant and elaborate language. And longer, complex sentences actually tend to be more regular than shorter sentences, which makes sense. More frequent things get repeated so much that the irregularities become natural, while more... Show more