Egyptian Dialect Arabic

1. Import into Anki

Getting your deck into Anki takes about 60 seconds.

1. Open Anki on your computer or phone
2. Go to File > Import (desktop) or tap the + button (mobile)
3. Select the .apkg file you downloaded from Lemon Squeezy

The deck will appear in your collection with all sub-decks, audio files, and tags intact. No extra setup needed.

2. Recommended settings

Anki's defaults work, but these adjustments will give you better results with this deck:

• New cards per day: 10-15. This builds recognition quickly without overwhelming your review pile.
• Maximum reviews per day: 200. The default of 200 is fine. If your daily reviews regularly exceed 150, reduce new cards for a few days.
• Learning steps: 1m 10m. Anki's default. Leave it.

To change these: click the gear icon next to the deck name, then "Options."

3. How the three card types work

Every word in this deck generates three cards. Each tests a different skill:

• Recognition (Arabic to English). You see the word in Arabic and produce the meaning. This is the easiest card type and builds passive vocabulary.
• Production (English to Arabic). You see the English meaning and produce the Arabic word. Harder, but this is what you need for speaking.
• Cloze (fill in the blank). You see a real sentence with one word missing. This tests whether you can use the word in context.

Feeling overwhelmed? Suspend the Production cards for the first week. Focus on Recognition and Cloze. Add Production back once your daily reviews feel manageable. To suspend: select cards in the browser, right-click, "Toggle Suspend."

4. Where to start

This deck covers 42 conversational themes with CEFR levels from A1 through B2. Every card has dual audio from a male and female native speaker.

• Traveling to Egypt. "Greetings," "Getting Around," "At the Restaurant," and "Shopping" cover your survival vocabulary. Add "Numbers" early since you will need them for prices and addresses.
• Want to understand Egyptian media. Start with A1-A2 for the grammar foundation, then jump to "Daily Life," "Emotions," and "Slang" themes. Egyptian film and TV use casual registers. The slang cards are where the real value is for media comprehension.
• Heritage speaker. Test yourself at A2 first. You likely know more than you think from growing up hearing the language. Suspend cards you already know, then focus on B1-B2 where the gaps usually are. The formal expression cards will help you sound more articulate in the areas your family conversations never covered.

Realistic timeline

At 10-15 new cards per day with consistent daily review, here is what to expect.

• Week 1-2. Greetings, basic questions, numbers. You can introduce yourself and handle very simple exchanges.
• Week 3-4. Ordering food, giving directions to a taxi driver, basic bargaining at a market.
• Month 2-3. Following simple conversations, expressing preferences, handling daily routines.
• Month 4-6. Comfortable casual conversation. You can catch the gist of Egyptian TV shows and follow song lyrics.

Tips for your situation

Egyptian Arabic learners come from different backgrounds. Find yours below.

• Dual audio: male vs female. Egyptian Arabic has subtle pronunciation differences between male and female speakers. Some vowels shift, and certain expressions are gender-specific. Listen to both audio tracks on each card. This trains your ear to understand all speakers, not just one.
• Already know MSA. Egyptian Arabic shares about 60% vocabulary with MSA but the grammar and pronunciation differ. The negation pattern (ma-...-sh) is completely different. Do not try to map everything to MSA rules. Treat it as a related but distinct system.
• Using alongside other learning tools. This deck works well alongside apps like Duolingo or conversation tutors. Use Anki for vocabulary retention and the other tools for conversation practice. They complement each other. Do not study the same words across multiple tools at the same time, as this creates false confidence.

Your first 10 phrases

Master these and you can handle your first interactions in Cairo.

• ازيك؟ / ازيك؟. izzayyak (m) / izzayyik (f). 'How are you?' The Egyptian way.
• كويس / كويسة. kuwayyes (m) / kuwaysa (f). 'Good / Fine.' Your go-to response.
• بكام ده؟. bikaam da? 'How much is this?' Essential for markets.
• مش فاهم. mish faahem. 'I don't understand.' The most useful phrase you will learn.
• الحساب لو سمحت. el-hisaab law samaht. 'The bill, please.' Restaurant essential.

The "Again" button is your friend

When Anki shows you a card and you don't know the answer, hit Again. Not "Hard." Not "Good." Again.

Spaced repetition works best when you're honest about what you don't know. Cards you mark "Again" come back sooner. Cards you know well space out further. The algorithm adjusts to you. Trust it.

Audio on every card

Every card has native speaker audio. On desktop, audio plays automatically when the card appears. On mobile, tap the speaker icon.

Tip: listen to the audio BEFORE reading the text. Train your ear first, then confirm with your eyes. This builds listening comprehension faster than reading alone.

Every card also includes ALA-LC transliteration, so you can follow along even if you're still learning the Arabic script.

Lifetime updates

Your purchase includes free updates for the life of the product. When we add new cards, fix audio, or improve translations, you can re-download the latest version from Lemon Squeezy at no extra cost.

We announce updates via email. Keep an eye on your inbox.

Need help?

Reply to any Eidetic email or reach out at hello@eidetic.cards. We read everything and respond fast.