Spoken Egyptian Mini Course: Why Spoken Egyptian is Essential?

In this article, we answer a very frequent question: Why is spoken Egyptian essential? In these short and to-the-point lessons, we will learn the spoken Egyptian dialect via blog articles and podcasts. This will be a fantastic free companion to my YouTube channel. You will find referrals between blog posts and YouTube episodes whenever necessary.  Make sure to check for new articles by visiting my blog regularly. Also, don’t forget to join my free ‘Egyptian Arabic 101’ course, where I explain various essential components of the Spoken Egyptian Dialect.

So let’s jump to our lesson.

What Exactly is spoken Egyptian?

So, you may have asked yourself before learning this unique dialect: What exactly is spoken Egyptian? Is it Arabic? Does it relate to Modern Standard Arabic in one way or another? Spoken Egyptian is currently the primary form of communication language used by Egyptians and is considered the de facto national language of Egypt. ‘Spoken Egyptian’ is not entirely derived from the Arabic language but is a dialect that consists of a unique mix of multiple languages like Arabic, Coptic, Turkish, Italian, Greek, French, and English. These languages formed the unique structure of these dialects throughout the centuries.

What is the Importance of Spoken Egyptian?

Spoken Egyptian is your ticket to communication in the Arab world. How is that? Simply because spoken Egyptian (especially the Cairo dialect) is well known to many Arabs. This popularity is a result of many factors that I will explain shortly. Be aware though, that spoken Egyptian is different from MSA. Therefore, many students were confused after spending a lot of time and resources studying only MSA, only to find that locals do not speak MSA.

MSA is not a conversational language and locals in Egypt, or any other Arab country, do not speak MSA with each other. They speak their dialects instead. Therefore, I always advise my students who want to register for Arabic online courses and classes to be clear about their goals with the language. MSA alone, will NOT help you speak to locals. However, knowing MSA as a reference can significantly simplify the learning process of the dialect.

How did spoken Egyptian become so popular?

As I told you in the last paragraph, many Arabs can understand spoken Egyptian, regardless of their country of origin. So if you are targeting to register for an online course for spoken Egyptian, you are on the right track. Arabs understand Egyptians easily. Why is this? There are three fundamental reasons:

• Egypt’s Leading sociopolitical role and strategic geographical location
• The power of the Egyptian media
• Al-Azhar mosque and university

Egypt’s Leading Sociopolitical Role

Egypt is located in the northeastern corner of Africa. Its Suez canal is a crucial, strategic bridge between Asia and Africa, a hub for trade routes between Africa, Europe and Asia. Due to this strategic importance, Egypt was a target of many imperial campaigns and suffered from colonization for extended periods throughout history. In the 20th century, Egypt strived to obtain her independence from British colonization and helped many other countries claim their independence.

The Power of the Egyptian Media

Thanks to radio broadcasting (starting in the 1920s) and TV broadcasting (starting in the 1960s), it was possible to magnify Egypt’s political and social rule across the Arab world. The radio and TV spread not only politics but also songs, news, shows and many other essential events in spoken Egyptian. For instance, Nasser and Om Kalthum are well-known celebrities in all Arab countries.

Al-Azhar Mosque and University

Al-Azhar Al-Sharif is considered one of the oldest degree-granting universities in the world. It was established about 1050 years ago during the Fatimid period. Al-Azhar has been attracting thousands of students from all over the world to study Islam, Arabic language and literature, as well as other disciplines like Engineering, Medicine and Science. This helped spread the spoken Egyptian dialect of Cairo very fast, not only among Arabs but in many other Islamic countries like Indonesia.

Now you know the secret behind the popularity of spoken Egyptian as a powerful tool to communicate in the Arab world. Don’t forget to complement your knowledge and enroll 100% free in my ‘Egyptian Arabic 101’ course.