Saudi Arabic vs Egyptian Arabic
High. Hijazi and Egyptian share the b- present and the ha-/7a- future, and Jeddah has always been full of Egyptians, so many words overlap. The main differences are ق (a g in Hijazi, a glottal stop in Cairo), the question words (eesh against eh) and words like da7een and abgha.
The differences, side by side
| Saudi Arabic | Egyptian Arabic | |
|---|---|---|
| The letter ق | Hard g — قلب is galb, قهوة is gahwa | Glottal stop — قلم is said alam |
| The letter ج | Soft j — جديد is jadeed; ث and ذ become ت and د | Hard g — جميل is gamiil |
| Present tense | b- prefix: باكتب (baktub), "I write" | b- prefix: باكتب (baktib), "I write" |
| Future tense | ح- prefix: حاكتب (7aktub), "I will write" | ha- prefix: هاكتب (haktib), "I will write" |
| Negation | ما before the verb: ما أدري; مو before adjectives | ما...ش around the verb: makatabtish |
| "What?" | إيش (eesh) | إيه (eeh) |
| "Now" | دحين (da7een) | دلوقتي (dilwa2ti) |
| "I want" | أبغى (abgha) | عايز (3ayez) / عايزة (3ayza) |
| "Good" | كويس (kwayyis) | كويس (kwayyes) |
The same phrases in both
| English | Saudi Arabic | Egyptian Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| hello | هلا hala | أهلا ahlan |
| how are you? | كيفك؟ kaifak? | ازيك؟ ezzayyak? |
| thank you | شكرا shukran | شكرا shukran |
| happy birthday | عيد ميلاد سعيد 3eed meelaad sa3eed | كل سنة وانت طيب kull sana w inta tayyib |
| good morning | صباح الخير sabaa7 il-khair | صباح الخير saba7 el kheir |
| good evening | مسا الخير masa il-khair | مساء الخير masa el kheer |
| goodbye | مع السلامة ma3a is-salaama | مع السلامة ma3a el salama |
| please | لو سمحت law sama7t | لو سمحت law sama7t |
| excuse me | لو سمحت law sama7t | لو سمحت law sama7t |
| I'm sorry | آسف aasif | انا اسف ana aasef |
| yes and no | أيوا ولا aiwa w-la | ايوة ولأ aywa w la2 |
| my name is... | إسمي ismi | اسمي ismi |
Which one should you learn?
Egyptian Arabic for the widest reach across the Arab world. Hijazi if Saudi Arabia, and especially the west of the country, is where you will live, work or travel. Knowing one makes the other quick to pick up.
Practice Saudi Arabic phrases
8 questions, half of them spoken out loud. Free, no account needed.