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July Spoken Lebanese Arabic Classes (3 Levels)
Total Beginners Spoken Lebanese Class
This class begins with learning the alphabet in Modern Standard Arabic AND the Lebanese Dialect. This way you’ll see how the Lebanese pronunciation of the Arabic letters differs from Modern Standard Arabic and you can use this knowledge wherever and however you use Arabic in the future.
As you study the alphabet, you’ll also learn important Lebanese Arabic phrases and vocabulary that are spoken everyday in Beirut. By the end of the class, you’ll be able to introduce yourself, get around Beirut easier and have basic conversations.
This will be a small, personal class with only 3-5 students, so reserve your place today.
Class Details
Dates: July 1-26 (4 weeks)
Days: Monday – Friday, (5 days a week)
Time: 11:00-2:00*
Cost: US$8/hour
Beginners Spoken Lebanese Class (Level IA)
This class is for anyone who wants to learn the most useful phrases and concepts in the spoken Lebanese dialect and is already familiar with the Arabic alphabet. You may have studied Modern Standard Arabic before and you know the Arabic alphabet, but you are new to the spoken dialect. By the end of the class, you’ll be able to introduce yourself, get around Beirut easier and have basic conversations.
Class Details
Dates: July 1-26 (4 weeks)
Days: Monday – Friday, (5 days a week)
Time:8:00-11:00*
Cost: US $8/hour
Spoken Lebanese (Level IB)
Now that you have finished Book 1 and Level 1A and know some essential vocabulary and phrases, it’s time to focus on verbs. In Level 1B you’ll learn the most common verbs, how to conjugate them in most tenses, and new vocabulary to use with them.
Class Details
Dates: July 1-26 (4 weeks)
Days: Monday – Friday, (5 days a week)
Time:8:00-11:00*
Cost: US $8/hour
*Final class times may change according to student’s requests.
Sign up by e-mailing us at ALPS@abtslebanon.org
Spoken Lebanese Arabic Courses in June
Total Beginners Spoken Lebanese Class
This class begins with learning the alphabet in Modern Standard Arabic AND the Lebanese Dialect. This way you’ll see how the Lebanese pronunciation of the Arabic letters differs from Modern Standard Arabic and you can use this knowledge wherever and however you use Arabic in the future.
As you study the alphabet, you’ll also learn important Lebanese Arabic phrases and vocabulary that are spoken everyday in Beirut. By the end of the class, you’ll be able to introduce yourself, get around Beirut easier and have basic conversations.
This will be a small, personal class with only 3-5 students, so reserve your place today.
Class Details
Dates: June 3-28 (4 weeks)
Days: Monday – Friday, (5 days a week)
Cost: US$8/hour
Beginners Spoken Lebanese Class (Level IA)
This class is for anyone who wants to learn the most useful phrases and concepts in the spoken Lebanese dialect and is already familiar with the Arabic alphabet. You may have studied Modern Standard Arabic before and you know the Arabic alphabet, but you are new to the spoken dialect. By the end of the class, you’ll be able to introduce yourself, get around Beirut easier and have basic conversations.
Class Details
Dates: June 3-28 (4 weeks)
Days: Monday – Friday, (5 days a week)
Cost: US $8/hour
Sign up by e-mailing Joelle at ALPS@abtslebanon.org.
Spoken Lebanese Total Beginner Class Begins May 7
Beginners Spoken Lebanese Class (Level IA)
This class begins with learning the alphabet in Modern Standard Arabic AND the Lebanese Dialect. This way you’ll see how the Lebanese pronunciation of the Arabic letters differs from Modern Standard Arabic and use this knowledge wherever and however you use Arabic in the future.
As you study the alphabet, you’ll also learn important Lebanese Arabic phrases and vocabulary that are spoken everyday in Beirut. You’ll be able to introduce yourself, get around Beirut easier and have basic conversations by the end of the class.
This will be a small, personal class with only 3-5 students, so reserve your place today.
Class Details
Dates: May 7 to May 31
Days: Monday – Friday, (5 days a week)
Time: 11:00-2:00
Cost: US$8/hour
Sign Up Today for April Classes
Beginners Spoken Lebanese Class (Level IA)
This class is for anyone who wants to learn the most useful phrases and concepts in the spoken Lebanese dialect and is already familiar with the Arabic alphabet. This will be a small, personal class with only 3-5 students, so reserve your place today. Sign up by e-mailing Joelle at ALPS@abtslebanon.org.
Class Details
Dates: April 2 to April 26th (4 weeks)
Days: Monday – Friday, (5 days a week)
Time: 3 hours a day each morning
Cost: US $8/hour
Intermediate Spoken Lebanese Class (Level IIA)
This level continues to incorporate useful phrases and vocab in the Spoken Lebanese Dialect while focusing on grammar and verb conjugation in all tenses.
Class Details
Dates: April 2 to April 26th (4 weeks)
Days: Monday – Friday, (5 days a week)
Time: 12:00 to 3:00
Cost: US$8/hour
Total Beginners Spoken Lebanese Class
This class begins with studying the alphabet, using the book Spoken Levantine Arabic, Vol. 0, and then teaches you the most useful phrases and concepts in the spoken Lebanese dialect. You’ll learn how to introduce yourself, how to get around Beirut using your Arabic and more. Sign up by e-mailing Joelle at ALPS@abtslebanon.org. This will be a small, personal class with only 3-5 students, so reserve your place today.
Class Details
Dates: April 15 to May 10 (4 weeks)
Days: Monday – Friday, (5 days a week)
Time: 10:00 to 1:00
Cost: US$8/hour
Learn Spoken Lebanese
American: “Lao sa-maHt, ay-nuh el mah-tãm Ka-bab-ji?”
Beiruti: “Speak English or French?”
American: “Uh…English.”
Beiruti: “OK, go straight and first left…you will see. Welcome to Lebanon.”
American: “Shou-kran.”
Beiruti: “You’re welcome.”
begins Ben Kalt’s helpful article that gives details and practical advice for anyone starting out studying spoken Arabic. What is spoken arabic and why study it? Check out these posts from our blog.
If you want to use Arabic to get around Beirut and build relationships, come by ALPS and enroll in one of our spoken Arabic courses. We’ll begin with the most important and common words and expressions so you can take what you learn in class and use it when you are out in Beirut.
As always, our class sizes are no more than 5 students and one on one private tutoring is also available.
Beginners Spoken Lebanese Class Beings November 19
Learn to Speak Lebanese
This class is for anyone who wants to learn the most useful phrases and concepts in the spoken Lebanese dialect. You’ll learn how to introduce yourself, how get around Beirut easier using your Arabic and more. Sign up by e-mailing Joelle at ALPS@abtslebanon.org. This will be a small, personal class with only 3-5 students, so reserve your place today.
What is the difference between Spoken Lebanese and MSA?
Find out here.
Class Details
Dates: November 19 to December 14th (4 weeks)
Days: Monday – Friday, (5 days a week)
Time: 9:00-12:00 (3 hours a day)
Cost: US$8/hour
Sa7tein!
Sa7tein literally, means two healths and you will hear this said whenever and wherever food is being enjoyed. Your hosts may say it to you before beginning the meal and you can also say it to someone in the middle of eating when you approach them. The response is 3a 2albak!
A more subtle usage is when a friend or coworker is eating and you are around. To be polite they will say tfaDDalu and offer you some of their lunch. You can respond back politely by saying Sa7tein, telling them thanks for the offer.
Saying “No thank you” in Arabic
We have discussed the variety of ways to say thanks in Spoken Lebanese Arabic. Now we will talk about saying no thanks. The Lebanese people are warm, welcoming and generous. If you want to decline an offer there is usually a polite response and that response depends on the context. Below you’ll find some ways to say no thank you depending on the circumstance:
Someone asks if you want something to eat:
يسلمو، هلّق أكلت
Someone offers you a cigarette before they smoke, but you don’t smoke:
كلّك ذوق بس ما بدخّن
Someone offers you a cigarette before they smoke, but you’d rather not:
كلّك ذوق، هلّق طَفيتها
A friend invites you to dinner, but you can’t go:
ليك يا حبيبي انا مشغول كتير خلّيها لَوقت تاني
A stranger invites you to coffee:
سَلِّمُن، نشالله دايمة، صرت شارب فنجانين الْيوم
A stranger invites you to dinner but you can’t go:
كلّك ذوق، يا ريت كنت قادر
Someone you know just responded مْقَدّم (m2addam: please accept them as a present) when you were congratulating them on their new sunglasses:
كلّك ذوق، حلوين ع صْحابُه
Around the word حقّ:
At ALPS our program is built on teaching you common and practical words and phrases right from the beginning. Here is an example of one small word and how it is used in different circumstances.
You are right: معك حقّ
You have the right: إلك حقّ
You are right and I have wronged you: حقّك عليّي
It’s your fault: الْحقّ عليك
It’s no one’s fault but yours: كلّ الحقّ عليك
It’s nobody’s’ fault: كلّ الحقّ ع الطّليان
(a special comment to our Italian friends: please don’t hold a grudge on us, this is just a funny Lebanese saying. If you know its origin, please contact us )
Be fair with me: عَطيني حقّي
Let us all admit the truth: الْحقّ حقّ
All efforts are in vain, no results can be expected: لا حقّ ولا باطل
Human rights: حقوق الإنسان
And now, 2 proverbs in Levantine Arabic:
قول الحقّ حتّى ولو على قطع راسك
لو كلّ مين بياخد حقُّه كان الْقاضي بِسَكّر حَبْسُه
