Arabic is a vast and rich language with a spectrum of variations spoken across the Middle East and North Africa. However, it's crucial to understand that Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and its various dialects are not separate languages. Think of MSA as the formal, written form used in media, literature and official communication, while the dialects -like the Levantine dialect- are the vibrant, colloquial versions used for everyday conversation. They're two sides of the same coin, with shared roots in Classical Arabic.

This article will explore the main differences in usage and phonetics between the Levantine dialect, specifically the Palestinian-Jordanian variety and MSA. We'll uncover why dialects can sometimes feel like a different language and how they reflect the natural evolution of spoken communication.

Bridging the Gap: Levantine Dialect vs. MSA

Understanding the Levantine dialect can feel challenging at first, but with the right tools, you can navigate the differences with ease. Our Palestinian/Jordanian Dialect Bridging Material is a great starting point, designed to help you transition from MSA to the fluid nature of spoken Arabic. Download it for free using the form below!

General Characteristics of Levantine Arabic

Dialect Tendency to Shorten Words

One of the most defining traits of Levantine Arabic is its tendency to shorten words by reducing the number of syllables. This is a common phenomenon in spoken language, where speed and ease of pronunciation often take precedence over formal structure. This single characteristic explains many of the phonetic changes you'll encounter.

Let's look at some examples:

والِدي vs. والْدي: In MSA, "my father" has three syllables. The dialect shortens it to two by dropping the vowel sound in the middle.

جامِعَتـي vs. جامِعْتـي: "My university" is another example, shortened from four syllables to three.

صاحِبَتُـهُ vs. صاحِبْتُه: "His female friend" is streamlined from four syllables to three.

The "B-" Prefix: Habits, Facts and Intentions

In the Palestinian-Jordanian (PL/JO) dialect, the prefix بـ is a key marker of present tense verbs that describe habits, facts or ongoing actions. It's a simple but effective way to distinguish these actions from future or non-habitual ones.

بَشْرَب الشاي كل يوم الصبح - "I drink tea every morning." (A habit)

بَشوف الأخبار كل يوم بعد العَشا - "I watch the news every day after dinner." (A habit)

However, this prefix is dropped for verbs that express a future intention or a necessity.

رَحْ أحكي معك بالليل إن شاء الله - "I will talk with you at night, God willing." (Future intention)

لازم أروح ع البيت هسه - "I need to go home now." (Non-habitual)

Furthermore, when you have multiple verbs in a row, you only use the b-prefix with the first one.

بِدّي أدرس اللغة الصينية السنة الجاي - "I want to study Chinese next year."

بحب أسمع القرآن قبل النوم - "I like to listen to the Qur'an before sleeping."

A final note on this prefix: in the PL/JO dialect, the b- prefix for the "I" (أنا) conjugation is always pronounced with a fatHa (an 'a' sound), not a kasra or Damma.

أنا بَسافر not بُسافِر / بِسافِر - "I travel"

أنا بَدَرِّس not بُدَرِّس / بِدَرِّس - "I teach"

Phonetic Shifts: Sounds That Define the Dialect

Levantine Arabic has a few distinct phonetic shifts that set it apart from MSA and even other Arabic dialects.

The Qaf (ق) Sound

The qaf (ق), which in MSA is a guttural "q" sound (like in "Qatar"), is often pronounced as a guttural 'g' or a hamza (ء) in day-to-day PL/JO vocabulary. This is a tell-tale sign of a Levantine speaker.

Try pronouncing دَقيقة (a minute) with both variations: As a hamza and as a 'g' sound

Imala (إمالة): The "e" Sound Shift

Another notable characteristic is imala, where the final taa marbuuTa (ـة) sound shifts from an 'a' to an 'e' sound, especially at the end of a word or phrase.

Try pronouncing the following word with both variations:

مَدْرَسة (a school): madrasa vs. madrase

However, this shift is often blocked by emphatic letters (ص، ض، ط، ظ، ق) and throat letters (ء، هـ، ع، ح، خ، غ), which tend to preserve the traditional 'a' sound.

حَديقة (a park): is a good example

Case Endings: The Simplification of Grammar

Unlike MSA, which uses case endings to denote grammatical function (nominative, accusative, genitive), spoken Arabic generally drops these endings. This simplifies the grammar significantly.
However, the PL/JO dialect does tend to fix the endings in certain apparent words, such as masculine plural and dual forms.

مُوظّفِين - employees (plural, ending with the 'iin' sound)

مُوظّفَين - two employees (dual, ending with the 'ain' sound)

However, a few common phrases and adverbs are exceptions to this rule. Even though they are used in everyday conversation, they still retain their original case endings, which native speakers unconsciously pronounce. This is because they are effectively frozen forms that have become part of the lexicon.
A perfect example is the greeting أهلًا وسهلًا ("Welcome"), which literally translates to "You have come to your people, and trodden an easy path." Both words in this phrase retain the accusative ending, a marker of politeness and a frozen form from Classical Arabic. Other words that keep their accusative endings include:
شكرًا ("thank you")

عفوًا ("you're welcome" or "excuse me")

Additionally, many adverbs of frequency commonly used in the Levantine dialect maintain their accusative case, making them easily recognizable. These include:

دايمًا ("always")

عادةً ("usually")

غالبًا ("often")

نادرًا ("rarely")

While the broad trend in spoken Arabic is to drop case endings, these specific examples show how certain grammatical features are preserved and seamlessly integrated into the dialect.

Unveiling Levantine Arabic: A Deep Dive into the Dialect's Unique Traits