Egyptian Arabic Netflix Series

Egyptian Arabic Netflix series are a great way to learn the language. 

Not only are they fun to watch, but they can also:

• Provide you with valuable listening practice of the way Egyptians actually speak 
• Teach you a ton of informal spoken vocabulary that you wouldn’t learn in Egyptian Arabic textbooks
• Give you valuable insight into Egyptian culture in a way few other study materials can

Plus, let’s be honest: we all love a great story, and the best Egyptian Arabic Netflix series will have you motivated to keep coming back for more. A great sign for your consistency in studying!

In the post, we will be giving a list of our favorite Egyptian Arabic Netflix series – so you can improve your Egyptian Arabic skills, and have a little fun doing it! 

Egyptian Arabic Netflix Series: Tips For Studying

Before we dive into Cleo Lingo’s favorite Egyptian Arabic Netflix series, we wanted to first share some tips with you. If you’re taking the time to watch Egyptian Arabic shows and you want to improve your Egyptian Arabic skills in the process, you want to be sure that you’re making the most of your Netflix study time. 

Follow the tips below and you can be sure that you are!

1) Actively watch as often as you can.

What do I mean by active watching? Well, pretty much the opposite of passively sitting there. This could be any of the following:

• Talking back to the characters when they something you disagree with
• Predicting what is going to happen next and reciting it in Egyptian Arabic
• Taking note of any words or phrases you don’t know, but want to learn (more on this in our next tip)

Watching Egyptian Arabic Netflix series actively is absolutely essential. That’s because passively watching something (aka, not really engaging with the show) makes an immersive experience pretty much impossible. Inevitably, your mind starts to wander. This isn’t a problem; just like meditation, the trick is to notice and bring back your focus. 

That said, all that “mind wandering” gives you an inaccurate idea of how much time you’ve actually studied. 

An hour of watching a show passively gives you exposure to Egyptian Arabic, but doesn’t really give your brain the workout that it needs. 

An hour of watching it actively? Well, your brain will be absolutely exhausted – and that’s a good thing! The big thing here is that actively watching an Egyptian Arabic Netflix series is more work…but that’s exactly what you want.

Casually watching a Netflix show is fine in any other circumstance. But if you’re serious about improving your language skills, active listening is a must!

2) Jot down unfamiliar words for later study.

One of the biggest benefits to using Egyptian Arabic Netflix series for language practice is all the new words you can learn. Because a show is often following people and all the crazy things they do, it’s a very authentic kind of language.

And if you pay attention with a pen and paper? Well – there’s a ton of new vocabulary you can use!

Rewind and review parts that you find challenging to comprehend. This will make it more likely that the words you are writing down to learn later are actually correct.

And for our biggest piece of advice? 

Try to write down entire phrases (not just words) that you don’t know. This is known as “chunking” and it’s a much more effective way to learn vocabulary.

That said, sometimes Egyptian Arabic Netflix series put subtitles in Standard Arabic. This can be frustrating, because Standard Arabic subtitles really aren’t helpful for Egyptian Arabic learners.

Which brings me to my next tip…

3) Get help from a teacher.

We’ve said it about a million times before at Cleo Lingo, but a teacher, worked with consistently over time, can be a total gamechanger. 

A decent teacher is invaluable – especially when it comes to using Netflix series to improve your Egyptian Arabic.

That’s partly because many Egyptian Arabic Netflix series will use subtitles in Standard Arabic, not Egyptian. This makes a native Egyptian speaker’s help essential. Simply tell them which section of a series you want translated, agree on a price, and they should be able to help you out!

These phrases can then be directly translated to Anki cards or something similar. 

Plus, you can always put on English subtitles. Most Egyptian Arabic Netflix series will have them, and even though it’s not ideal, it’s better than having no idea what somebody is saying in either language!

4) Practice repeating what you hear to improve your accent. 

We think pronunciation is one of the most important things you can possibly practice. You can know all the vocab and be an expert in a language’s grammar, but if your pronunciation sucks, people just aren’t going to understand you when you speak.

Not enough people spend the time fine-tuning their pronunciation. The result? People simply don’t understand you (no matter how many words you know) and your communication suffers as a result.

Thankfully, pronunciation can be practiced…if you’re willing to do a little gold old fashioned repetition!

In fact, this is one of the reasons I learned German to a high level in just four months. I would sit in front of my computer, watching videos of Germans speaking, and just repeat what they were saying…while trying to mimic their voices.

This got my pronunciation to a pretty good level quite fast. I recommend you do the same with Egyptian Arabic Netflix shows!

5) Find a series that you like and stick with it.

Our next tip is related to the golden rule of any language learning advice: make sure what you’re doing is actually something that you enjoy. That’s why you need to find a series you like (seven recommendations below). 

Honestly, just think about how much dialogue happens in an entire series. How many words and phrases are in there? Easily multiple thousands. Now just imagine if you could learn everything they said.

How much better would your Egyptian Arabic be if you could add thousands of new words and phrases to your brain?

Well – you can. All it takes is repetition. That’s why I suggest finding a series that you like and returning to it over and over again.

Combine this with our advice on learning vocabulary for maximum effect. After studying a substantial number of phrases, rewatch episodes (or even the entire series) and you’ll be shocked at how much you understand!

Here’s an added benefit of sticking with the same series: it lets you get lost in the story. Just like with your native language, a good show (which you’ll find below) can get you obsessed about finding out what happens next.

And let’s be honest – that’s exactly what you want to happen when you’re studying a new language!

7 Egyptian Arabic Netflix Series To Improve Your Egyptian Arabic

1) Paranormal

Based on the book series by Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, Paranormal is the very first original Egyptian Arabic series on Netflix. 

Refaat (played by comedian Ahmed Amin) is a hematologist in his forties. As a lifelong skeptic, Refaat’s scientific nature is challenged when he starts encountering a series of “paranormal activities”. Together with his colleague Maggie, they embark on a mission to protect their loved ones from danger. 

The Paranormal series is an interesting mix of humor, darkness, excitement, and terror. It’s one of the more popular Egyptian Arabic series in recent memory, and, as a huge bonus…

Paranormal comes with Egyptian Arabic subtitles! This is hard to find, and you should check out the show just for this reason. Makes learning much easier!

2) Valentino

This Egyptian Arabic series is all about a man who owns a group of international schools and faces a range of funny situations. He is also married to a (slightly crazy) wife who has an authoritarian streak, so you can expect some drama!

Valentino is a great show to watch for some Egyptian culture. The main actor is Adel Imam, one of the most famous in Egyptian cinematic history. Definitely somebody you want to know if you are learning Egyptian Arabic!

As one online review claims, the characters of the series are, to a certain extent, a “reflection of Egyptian society.” Certainly worth checking out if you want to improve your Egyptian Arabic and have a laugh as well. 

3) Finding Ola

Ola goes on a journey of “self-discovery” after a life-altering event, all while raising two children.

In many ways, Finding Ola is all about female empowerment. It shows Ola (played by Hind Sabri) struggling through a divorce, as well as the challenges this causes in Egyptian society. Compelling stuff!

If you want insight into the life of an upper-class Egyptian family, this is a good series to start with. That said, I’ve heard some people say that the show doesn’t do a very good job of showing “true Egypt.” Whether this is because the family is rich, or because the depiction of Egyptian culture is somehow false, might be irrelevant. Regardless, a good show to pick up on a bunch of casual conversational phrases in Egyptian Arabic!

Important note: Finding Ola, with only six episodes, is more of a mini Netflix series. No “getting hooked and binging for a week” on this one. However, maybe the smaller amount of episodes is a good thing. Certainly lets you implement our advice of watching the same episode repeatedly!

4) Newton’s Cradle

Looking for some drama while you’re improving your Egyptian Arabic? Then look no further than Newton’s Cradle!

Seeking US naturalization, a couple decides to have their firstborn in America. This is a decision packed with risks, and ends up having serious consequences for their marriage. 

Newton’s Cradle is a show that many claim is one of the best “Ramdan series” ever produced. The acting is superb, and the series has gotten excellent reviews from thousands of people online. All this to say: with Newton’s Cradle, you can expect a decently high quality. 

An added bonus: it features Mona Zaki as the main character, one of Egypt’s most famous actresses. Worth watching if you want to have something smart to say when the conversation switches to Egyptian cinema!

5) My Way

In the 1970s, young woman Dalia aspires to be a singer. However, she struggles to prove herself in the face of challenges posed by her strict upbringing.

An added bonus for the drama: throughout the course of the show, Dalia goes through two separate love stories. This shows her who is really on her side in her quest for fame. If you are interested to see what Egyptian dating was like 50 years ago, this show is for you.

Just a heads up: the audio is pretty weird a lot of the time. Seems like the music is louder than the actor’s voices. If you don’t have a problem with that, My Way is a decent show for practicing Egyptian Arabic.

6) Once Upon a Time (Aho Da Elly Sar)

An upper-class journalist (Nada) from Cairo meets a palace guard in Alexandria. He claims that he is the heir to the palace, and tells her everything that has happened in the palace (including a series of love stories).

No spoilers, but the love stories he tells Nada basically parallel the romance that starts to bud between them. However, throughout the course of the conversation their social and class differences also become apparent. A good insight into a problem all societies face!

This is an interesting series to watch, because it basically jumps back and forth from present day Alexandria to the city of 100 years ago. A pretty cool storytelling technique, as well as a peak into older Egyptian society. 

While I myself have never watched this show, I know multiple foreigners that have. If you like historical fiction mixed with romance, this could be the Egyptian Arabic Netflix series for you!

7) “Secrets Of The Nile” / Grand Hotel

Our last series is set in the 1950’s. The show follows main character Ali’s journey as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of his sister, a maid at one of the famous hotels in Aswan. 

“Secrets Of The Nile” provides a fascinating glimpse into the Egyptian culture of seven decades ago, showcasing the fashion, events, and nuances of that time period. 

Plus, if you’ve never visited Aswan, Egypt, this Egyptian Arabic Netflix series will certainly make you want to! The breathtaking views of the Nile in Aswan further add to the show’s appeal.

Important note: This doesn’t seem to be on Netflix anymore. But if you get the chance to watch it elsewhere, it’s not one to be missed!

One Last Tip

The fact is, Egyptian Arabic is a language that is underserved by Netflix. 

Still, there are in fact quite a few standalone movies on Netflix. If you are willing to apply a lot of the tips that we covered at the beginning of this post, these movies can be a great chance to improve your Egyptian Arabic. Give it a shot!

Simply search “Egyptian movies” on Netflix and you’ll have a ton to choose from. Happy viewing!

…

Happy learning,

Cleo Lingo