The Best Books For Learning Egyptian Arabic

We all know books can be a great resource for learning new languages. But what about books for learning Egyptian Arabic?

It’s a problem many Egyptian Arabic learners face: where are all the good learning materials? Unfortunately, it’s the same thing with books. There aren’t a ton of books to learn Egyptian Arabic, and even if you do find them…how do you use them to learn the dialect most effectively?

That’s what this article is for: showing you why books are great to learn Egyptian Arabic, some tips for using them, and our list of the best books  to learn Egyptian Arabic.

Let’s get started.

Four Benefits Of Using Books For Learning Egyptian Arabic

Let’s start from the very beginning: why use books to learn Egyptian Arabic in the first place? While it can be tempting to go the typical “watch videos and talk with native speakers” route, books are a great addition to your study plan.

Here are some of the main benefits of using books to learn Egyptian Arabic:

Allows you to slow things down

This might be the biggest benefit to using books for Egyptian Arabic. The fast paced nature of listening and speaking practice makes “slowing down” hard to do. This can leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed with how much you miss. Not so with written content!

You can immerse yourself in the way the language works

Similar to the first point, but important to remember: seeing words on paper lets you surround yourself with the language. Egyptian Arabic (and really any of the dialects) can be tricky. All those new letters, weird grammar, and overall difficulty of the language can make things…well, frustrating. But with a book? You can literally look at the way the language works, and you improve your fluency as a result. 

Strengthens your command of the Arabic script

A lot of people will dive into learning Egyptian Arabic and not worry about the Arabic script. While the Arabic alphabet isn’t strictly necessary to learn (especially if you just want to know how to say a few phrases) I always recommend that people take the time to learn it. Two reasons why:

• It’s actually relatively easy. In reality, it only takes you a few hours. Why not learn it?
• It makes every part of the language so much easier. Later when you are working with a teacher, reading signs in the language, trying to decipher WhatsApp messages from your Egyptian friends…it all requires understanding the Arabic script.

And with Egyptian Arabic books? Assuming that the book you are using actually has the Arabic script, your command of it skyrockets as a result.

You can hyper focus on particular words and phrase

This brings it all together: Egyptian Arabic books, because of the way that you use them, effectively increase the amount of vocabulary you can accurately use. Through your focus on the content, you can pinpoint words and phrases that you want to remember. This is one of the foundational requirements towards becoming fluent in any language. 

And if you pair this with a systematic vocabulary app (see the next section for my tips)? You can say more, understand more, and simply use the language more (and more accurately). Sounds pretty good to me!

So, at this point you know all about the benefits of using books for learning Egyptian Arabic. But how do you actually use them most effectively? 

Books For Learning Egyptian Arabic: Six Tips For Using Them

It’s tempting to just go out and buy a bunch of Egyptian Arabic books. What’s more helpful, however, is to actually have a plan for using them.

With that in mind, here are some of my best tips for using books to learn Egyptian Arabic. These are all things I have done myself, and I think they’ve been pretty helpful. Treat these as tips, not rules. You know how you learn best.

Get physical books

Maybe I’m old school, but I truly believe physical books give you a much more effective learning experience. Think about it: physical books let you actually write in them and take handwritten notes. This is essential for your studies, especially if you aren’t all that advanced. Of course, digital version of Egyptian Arabic books are better than nothing. But having physical copies of your study materials makes a huge difference – trust me on that one.

Transfer stuff you learn to Anki cards

This leads me to my next point… if you want to solidify what you’re learning, it’s worth your time to transfer stuff to vocab cards. This ensures not only that you are learning stuff, but that you are actually remembering. And what’s the use of learning new Egyptian Arabic words and phrases if you just forget them.

A small snippet of the vocab from my own Anki cards.

The app that I usually recommend for this process is Anki (although there are a lot of similar apps). The reason it’ so effective is that it’s based on spaced repetition. You focus most of your time on the words and phrases you don’t know, which makes your study time way more efficient.

Focus on things you actually want to say

This is one of those underrated bits of advice that most people don’t talk about: you don’t need to know everything. Are you interested in talking about sports and your passion for languages? Focus on phrases that have to do with that. Don’t care about movies? Then a lot of the vocabulary that has to do with that topic might be a waste of your time.

This could be applied to just about all of your study content, of course, but it’s especially relevant to reading Egyptian Arabic books. Yes, you want to understand a decent portion of what you’re reading. Yes, you want to get the basic gist of it.

But you don’t have to remember everything. Make note of the things you come across in your books that you actually find useful for your own Egyptian Arabic goals, and get to work remembering them.

Talk to your teachers about the content

As I say in my guide to learning Egyptian Arabic, a quality Egyptian Arabic teacher is one of the best investments you can make. Even more so when you know how to effectively work with them. When using books to learn Egyptian Arabic, here are a couple of things I would do:

• Ask them to go over phrases you don’t know
• Get their feedback on what the words / phrases mean and any context you don’t understand
• Practice them with your teacher so they can ensure you know how to implement them in real life

Working with an Egyptian Arabic book on your own is great, but a trained teacher will make the process both more effective and efficient. This lets you learn as fast as possible. 

Focus on the Egyptian dialect

This is pretty obvious, but it’s worth saying anyway: focus on books that deal with the Egyptian dialect of Arabic, not Standard. Yes, I know: the majority of books (both traditional “learn Arabic” textbooks and otherwise) are written in Standard Arabic. That will probably never change. But if you want to learn Egyptian Arabic, and you want to speak with Egyptians, reading books in the much more formal Standard Arabic won’t really help you.

Learning Standard Arabic? Then by all means get some of those books. But if you want to focus on Egyptian Arabic, it’s simply not worth your time. Egyptian Arabic books are definitely the way to go.

Get recommendations from Egyptians

This list is only a small sampling of everything that’s out there. If you want great books that will help you learn Egyptian Arabic, it’s always a decent idea to ask Egyptians. They have insights into Egyptian culture most foreigners never would, and as a result likely have at least a few recommendations.

The drawback, of course, is that they are native speakers. The sort of books Egyptians consume likely aren’t the type of books you want to be reading if you aren’t yet at the advanced level. Still, can’t hurt to ask.

As for the books you should definitely check out if you are learning Egyptian Arabic? Here’s a list of my favorites!

The 6 Best Books For Learning Egyptian Arabic

Kullu Tawmam by Manfred Woidich

Out of all the books for learning Egyptian Arabic, this is probably the one I used the most to improve my Egyptian Arabic. And I didn’t even have to pay for it! Basically, I moved into an apartment in Cairo and the previous tenant had left a ton of books on their bookshelf. This was one of them, and I must say: it’s pretty high quality!

Kullu Tawmam is a comprehensive resource for anyone looking to learn Egyptian Arabic. It’s filled with example sentences, vocabulary lists, and clear grammar explanations. Definitely worth the investment for pretty much any level! 

In addition, this book is particularly beneficial for learners with a background in Standard Arabic. The vocabulary is presented in both Standard Arabic and the Egyptian dialect, making it easier to avoid confusion between the two. 

This is super helpful, because it’s quite common to mix up Standard and the Egyptian dialect. And let’s be honest: most people learning Egyptian Arabic have at least a little experience with Standard. A great book worth considering!

Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Vocabulary by Matthew Aldrich

The book by Matthew Aldrich from Lingualism is an absolute must-have if you’re learning Egyptian Arabic. During my time in Cairo, I found it to be one of the most helpful resources I had at my disposal. It includes over 4,500 vocabulary words and phrases with example sentences arranged in three columns: Arabic, phonetic spelling, and English translation. This makes it an ideal companion for learners. 

The book is also great for browsing through and picking up new information each time you open it. Although it may not be suitable for complete beginners (due to its amount of information and non-standard dictionary format), it is still worth purchasing. The more you progress in your learning, the more valuable this book becomes. Get it now!

Also worth noting: something that makes this book unique is the fact that it also has word for word translations in the same order. What I mean is that you see, literally word for word, what the translation in English would be. This can be quite helpful for beginners, especially if you want to compare word order between languages

Generally, I find this book quite valuable for one big reason: you always come across words and phrases that you never knew you wanted to know. One last “pro tip: that has nothing to do with reading: keep a list of things you want to learn how to say in Egyptian Arabic. You’d be surprised how much this one small habit can increase your vocab!

Kallimni ‘Arabi by Samia Louis

The Kallimni ‘Arabi series is widely regarded as one of the top resources for students of Egyptian Arabic. The series consists of five books that cover all levels from beginner to advanced, making it a suitable option for most learners of the language. 

The books are divided into chapters that feature reading exercises, vocabulary lists, and audio material for practice. Although the content is entirely in Arabic, a native speaker’s guidance (there’s that teacher tip again!) can enhance the learning experience for maximum benefit. Nevertheless, the Kallimni ‘Arabi series is an excellent resource for anyone learning Egyptian Arabic.

This series is at the top of a lot of “Arabic book lists” out there, and for good reason: they are quite good. Will Kallimni Arabi teach you every little thing you want to know? Not a chance – no book will. But the books are a great resource and can give you a solid “bump” in your Egyptian Arabic skills, regardless of what your current level is.

Also, fun fact: the author works at a language institute in Egypt called “International House Cairo.” I worked there for about a year and had teh chance to meet her! (She’s not paying me to include her book in this list, I promise. I just think it’s pretty high quality! :D)

Egyptian Arabic: Easy Stories With English Translations by Donovan Nagel

The Talk in Arabic book is a fantastic resource for those who are just starting out or at a low intermediate level in their Egyptian Arabic studies. What sets the book apart is the clear and concise English translations. This eliminates the need for time-consuming dictionary searches and makes sure you are fully understanding what you are reading. If you are looking for a quick way to learn a bunch of vocabulary, this is a great choice.

In addition, the book includes exercises to reinforce the material covered. This makes the learning process much more effective and efficient. Plus, the layout is quite nice. This is something language learning books sometimes suffer from: great content, but kind of a pain to use.

Not so with this book! If you are just starting out with Egyptian Arabic, or trying to get to that prized “intermediate level”, be sure to check out “Easy Stories.”

Shuwayya ‘An Nafsi by Matthew Aldrich

This book is great if you have some familiarity with Egyptian Arabic and want to improve your conversational abilities. Each chapter of Shuwuyya ‘an Nafsi presents a question and offers various responses, making it ideal for upper beginners who are still mastering basic, everyday phrases. 

Let’s give the book some credit: this “question and answer” setup is a pretty creative way to format a book. It’s also actually quite similar to how I learn languages, as well. I don’t do so well with traditional “classroom settings.” I’d much rather prefer to just dive deep on topics I know I want to talk about. Shuwuyya ‘an Nafsi is a great book if you learn in a similar way.  

The book also comes with audio materials to ensure proper pronunciation. This is invaluable when you are working with books. Yes, you are gaining more familiarity with Egyptian Arabic, and yes, you are learning a ton of vocab. Still, for conversational purposes, you want to make sure that you are actually learning how to pronounce all this stuff. With Shuwuyya ‘an Nafsi, you can be sure that you are!

Taxi by Khaled Alkamissi

I have mentioned this book numerous times, but it’s really one of my favorites. A friend recommended it to me when I first moved to Cairo, and I’ve probably read it ten times since then. “Taxi” is based on a series of fictional taxi rides, during which the author posed questions to the drivers and documented the conversations in the form of a book. Although its concept is straightforward, it’s surprisingly captivating.

What makes this book intriguing is that it was written in 2006, just five years before the Egyptian Revolution. The conversations in the book touch on themes such as poverty, political corruption, declining quality of life, and overall dissatisfaction, all of which ultimately contributed to the events in Tahrir Square.

In addition to providing valuable insights into the revolution, “Taxi” is also a rich source of information about Egyptian culture. By reading this book, you’ll not only improve your Egyptian Arabic but also gain a deeper understanding of the country’s culture and history.

Of course, this isn’t exactly a typical “learn Egyptian Arabic” book. Instead, it’s basically just a bunch of chats. So here’s how I would recommend you use it to get the full benefit: 

• Do a chapter with a teacher ever few weeks. This will have you learning in a structured way, and ensures you’re not rushing the process.
• After that, transfer the phrases you want to know how to say into your Anki app. This is a super effective way to learn!

While it can be hard to find this book in the original Arabic version, it’s well worth the look.

Anyway, these are our recommendations for books to learn Egyptian Arabic. 

Are we forgetting any? We plan to add to this over time, so if you have any favorites that we haven’t mentioned…let us know!

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Happy learning,

Cleo Lingo