The Word بِتاع in Egyptian Arabic
Welcome to my lesson on how to use a very important word in Egyptian Colloquial Arabic! First of all, the word بِتاع bitā3 is mainly used as a noun, which means it comes in three forms…
Egyptian Arabic Orthography
Learn how to read the Arabic script and tashkeel (voweling) used in Lingualism materials.
Microbuses: Your Guide to the Fastest Way to Travel Around Cairo
Learn how to ride microbuses in Egypt. Maissara gives us tips and teaches us the hand signals and essential phrases in Egyptian Arabic.
Visiting the Dreaded Mogamma in Tahrir
If you’ve ever had the “pleasure” of visiting the dreaded Mogamma, you’ll empathize with Ahmed and understand why he had to make three trips just to get one document issued.
Using an Arabic Dictionary: Tips for Learners
So, you’ve decided to study Arabic. From the get-go, you’re confronted with a number of challenges. You knew, of course, that you would have to
Alaa in Nubia
Alaa falls in love with Nubia and its culture. But what about the crocodiles?
My Friend’s Big Day
Alaa’s best friend had to defend her thesis to receive her Master’s degree. Was she successful?
Darwin at the Library
Ahmed didn’t get much studying done before the exam. What distracted him? And how was the exam?
Hamza in Hurghada
Hamza (age 7) tells us about a recent family trip to Hurghada (on the Red Sea coast of Egypt). Hamza is the son of Yomna, a regular contributor to the blog and Lingualism publications.
Master Arabic
There’s a moment in almost every intermediate Arabic student’s journey when you feel like you’ve hit a roadblock. You know enough words to construct an essay (sort of), but not enough to explain a film plot with any kind of nuance. I was…
Origami in Cairo
Yomna and her sons broaden their cultural horizons.
Play Big
Mohamed tells us about the contest he entered at work. Do you think he’ll win?