View source for Egyptian Arabic

{{Short description|Colloquial Egyptian language}}
{{cleanup rewrite|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox language
| name = Egyptian Arabic
| nativename = اللهجه المصريه
| pronunciation = {{IPA-arz|elˈlæhgæ l.mɑsˤˈɾejjɑ|}}
| states = [[Egypt]]
| speakers = 64,422,000<!-- please don't just add the number of Egyptian population! -->
| date = 2016
| ref = e19
| familycolor = Afroasiatic
| fam2 = [[Semitic languages|Semitic]]
| fam3 = [[Central Semitic languages|Central Semitic]]
| fam4 = [[Varieties of Arabic|Arabic]]
| fam5 = Central
| script = [[Arabic alphabet]]<br/>[[Latin alphabet]] <small>(secondary)</small>
| iso3 = arz
| notice = IPA
| glotto = egyp1253
| glottorefname = Egyptian Arabic
}}

'''Egyptian Arabic''', [[#Naming|locally known as]] '''Colloquial Egyptian''' ({{lang-ar|العامية المصرية}},<ref>{{Cite book|last=سبيرو|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fa0azQEACAAJ&dq=%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9+%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9|title=قاموس اللهجة العامية المصرية، عربي - إنكليزي|date=1999|publisher=مكتبة لبنان ناشرون|language=ar}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.net/news/cultureandart/2019/2/12/تتويج-رواية-مكتوبة-بالعامية-طيف-طه-حسين-ومستقبل-الثقافة-بمصر|title=تتويج رواية مكتوبة بالعامية.. طيف طه حسين ومستقبل الثقافة بمصر|website=www.aljazeera.net|language=ar|access-date=2020-02-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://akhbarelyom.com/news/newdetails/590075/1/طه-حسين..عشق-الفصحى-وكره-العامية-ودعى-لتفهم-التوارة-والإنجيل-والقرآن|title=طه حسين..عشق الفصحى وكره العامية ودعى لتفهم التوارة والإنجيل والقرآن|last=Musa|first=Heba|date=الثلاثاء، 15 نوفمبر 2016 - 05:51 ص|website=بوابة اخبار اليوم|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-02-26}}</ref> {{IPA-arz|el.ʕæmˈmejjæ l.mɑsˤˈɾejjɑ|}}), or '''The Egyptian Dialect''' ({{lang|ar| اللهجه المصريه }} {{IPA-arz|elˈlæhgæ l.mɑsˤˈɾejjɑ|}}), or simply '''''Masri''''' ({{lang|arz|مَصرى}}),<ref>{{Cite  web|url=https://etoninstitute.com/blog/language/different-arabic-dialects|title=Different Arabic Dialects Spoken Around the Arab World|date=April 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://enterprise.press/stories/2017/08/29/disney-returns-to-using-egyptian-dialect-in-dubbing-movies/|title=Disney returns to using Egyptian dialect in dubbing movies|website=Enterprise}}</ref> is the spoken [[vernacular]] Arabic [[dialect]] of [[Egypt]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/languages-spoken-in-egypt.html|title=Languages Spoken In Egypt|website=WorldAtlas|language=en|access-date=2019-09-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jjiZAAAACAAJ&dq=egyptian+colloquial+arabic|title=Egyptian Colloquial Arabic|last=Ondras|first=Frantisek|date=2005-04-26|publisher=Czech Institute of Egyptology|isbn=9788086277363|language=en}}</ref>

Egyptian is a [[North Africa|North African]] [[dialect]] of the [[Arabic]] language which is a [[Semitic languages|Semitic]] branch of the [[Afroasiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic language family]]. It originated in the [[Nile Delta]] in [[Lower Egypt]]. Egyptian Arabic evolved from the [[Classical Arabic|Quranic Arabic]] which was brought to [[Egypt]] during the seventh-century AD [[Muslim conquest of Egypt|Muslim conquest]] that aimed to spread the [[Islam]]ic faith among the Egyptians.<ref>{{Citation|title=Conversion, Exemption, and Manipulation: Social Benefits and Conversion to Islam in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages: Forcing taxes on those who refuse to convert|url=https://www.medievalworlds.net/0xc1aa5576%200x00372f27.pdf|quote= ʿUmar is depicted as having ordered that "the poll-tax should be taken from all men who would not become Muslims"}}</ref> Egyptian Arabic is mainly influenced by the [[Coptic language|Egyptian Coptic language]] in its [[grammar]] structure which was the native language of the vast majority of Nile Valley Egyptians prior to the [[Early Muslim conquests|Islamic conquest]]<ref>Nishio, Tetsuo. "Word order and word order change of wh-questions in Egyptian Arabic: The Coptic substratum reconsidered". ''Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference of L'Association Internationale pour la Dialectologie Arabe''. Cambridge: [[University of Cambridge]]. 1996, pp. 171-179</ref><ref>Bishai, Wilson B. "[[Coptic language|Coptic]] grammatical influence on Egyptian Arabic". Journal of the American Oriental Society. No.82, pp. 285-289.</ref><ref>Youssef (2003), below.</ref> and later it had small influences by [[Languages of Europe|European]] and foreign languages such as [[French language|French]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Greek language|Greek]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://raseef22.com/article/79624-13-%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%91%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%83%D9%91%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%91%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%91%D8%A9|script-title=ar:13 لغة أجنبية تشكل العامية المصرية|trans-title=13 foreign languages within the Egyptian Arabic dialect |date=May 31, 2017|website=رصيف 22}}</ref> [[Turkish language|Turkish]] and [[English language|English]]. The 100 million Egyptians speak a [[dialect continuum|continuum of dialects]], among which Cairene is the most prominent. It is also understood across most of the [[Arab World|Arabic-speaking countries]] due to broad Egyptian influence on the region. Furthermore, Egyptian media including [[Cinema of Egypt|cinema]] has had a big influence in the [[MENA]] region for more than a century, along with the [[Music of Egypt|music]] industry. These factors help to make it the most widely spoken and by far the most widely studied [[Varieties of Arabic|variety of Arabic]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Dick|first=Marlin|date=|title=TBS 15 The State of the Musalsal: Arab Television Drama and Comedy and the Politics of the Satellite Era by Marlin Dick|url=http://tbsjournal.arabmediasociety.com/Archives/Fall05/Dick.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002737/http://tbsjournal.arabmediasociety.com/Archives/Fall05/Dick.html|archive-date=2016-03-04|access-date=2015-11-03|website=Arab Media & Society}}</ref><ref>Mahmoud Gaafar, Jane Wightwick (2014).''Colloquial Arabic of Egypt: The Complete Course for Beginners''.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4R4DyZ8At7IC&pg=PA173&dq=egyptian+arabic+%22most%22#v=onepage|title=The Europeans, Second Edition: A Geography of People, Culture, and Environment|last=Ostergren|first=Robert C.|last2=Bossé|first2=Mathias Le|date=2011-06-15|publisher=Guilford Press|isbn=978-1-60918-244-1|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=socYatmLZc8C&pg=PT1983&dq=egyptian+arabic+%22most%22#v=onepage|title=The Rough Guide to Egypt|last=Richardson|first=Dan|date=2007-08-02|publisher=Rough Guides UK|isbn=978-1-84836-798-2|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00mole|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00mole/page/117 117]|quote=egyptian arabic influence.|title=Culture and Customs of Egypt|last=Asante|first=Molefi Kete|date=2002|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-31740-8|language=en}}</ref>

While it is primarily a spoken language, the written form is used in novels, plays and poems ([[vernacular literature]]), as well as in comics, advertising, some newspapers and transcriptions of popular songs. In most other written media and in television news reporting, [[Modern Standard Arabic|Literary Arabic]] is used. Literary Arabic is a standardized language based on the language of the [[Quran]], that is, [[Classical Arabic]]. The Egyptian [[vernacular]] is almost universally written in the [[Arabic alphabet]] for local consumption, although it is commonly transcribed into [[Latin letters]] or in the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] in linguistics text and textbooks aimed at teaching non-native learners.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tafl.live/|title=:: تعلم العربية{{!}} جامعة الأزهر {{!}} بوابة التعليم الالكتروني والتعليم عن بعد {{!}} e-Learning Al-Azhar University {{!}} Learn Arabic ::|publisher=tafl.live|access-date=2019-11-05}}</ref>  Occasionally it is written in the [[Arabic chat alphabet#Comparison table|ASCII Latin alphabet]], mainly [[World Wide Web|online]] and in [[SMS|SMS messages.]]

== Naming ==
[[Egyptians]] generally call their vernacular "'''Arabic'''" ({{Lang|ar|عربى}}, {{IPA-arz|ʕærabi|}}) when juxtaposed with non-Arabic languages; "'''Colloquial Egyptian'''" ({{lang|arz|العاميه المصريه}}, {{IPA-arz|el.ʕæmˈmejjæ l.mɑsˤˈɾejjɑ|}}){{ref|B|[note B]}} or simply "'''''<nowiki/>'Aamiyya'''''" ({{lang|arz|عامية}}, ''colloquial'') when juxtaposed with [[Modern Standard Arabic|Standard Arabic]] and the '''Egyptian dialect''' ({{lang|arz|اللهجه المصريه}}, {{IPA-arz|elˈlæhɡæ l.mɑsˤˈɾejjɑ|}}){{ref|C|[note C]}} or simply '''''Masri''''' ({{lang|arz|مَصرى}}, {{IPA-arz|ˈmɑsˤɾi|}}, ''Egyptian'') when juxtaposed with other [[Varieties of Arabic|vernacular Arabic dialects]].<ref name="Islam online2">[http://www.islamonline.net/arabic/famous/2005/12/article04.shtml Islam online on Mahmoud Timor] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724052458/http://www.islamonline.net/arabic/famous/2005/12/article04.shtml|date=July 24, 2008}}</ref> Sometimes it is also called '''Modern Egyptian language'''<ref name="Present Culture in Egypt2">[http://www.unitedcopts.org/images/stories/pdf/The%20State%20Of%20Culture%20in%20Egypt%20at%20the%20present.pdf Present Culture in Egypt] {{in lang|ar}} and {{in lang|arz}} (PDF) by [[Bayoumi Andil]].</ref> ({{lang|arz|اللغه المصريه الحديثه}},<ref name="Present Culture in Egypt2" /> {{IPA-arz|elˈloɣæ l.mɑsˤˈɾejjɑ l.ħæˈdiːsæ}}).{{ref|A|[note A]}}

The term Egyptian Arabic is usually used synonymously with "''Cairene Arabic''", which is technically a dialect of Egyptian Arabic. The country's native name, ''Maṣr'', is often used locally to refer to Cairo itself. As is the case with Parisian [[French language|French]], Cairene Arabic is by far the most prevalent dialect in the country.<ref>{{Citation|last=Kerstin|first=Odendahl|title=World Natural Heritage|date=August 2015|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/e1950|work=Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-923169-0|access-date=2020-05-27}}</ref>

== Geographic distribution ==
The total number of Egyptian Arabic users in all countries is over 51 million, 49 million of whom are native speakers in Egypt, including several regional dialects. In addition, there are immigrant Egyptian communities in the [[Middle East]], [[Europe]], [[North America]], [[Latin America]], [[Australia]] and [[Southeast Asia|South East Asia]]. Among the spoken [[varieties of Arabic]], Standard Egyptian Arabic<ref>[https://www.arabacademy.com/egyptian-arabic-vs-modern-standard-arabic/ standard Egyptian Arabic]</ref> (based on the dialect of the Egyptian capital) is the only one to have become a [[lingua franca]] in other parts of the Arabic-speaking world for two main reasons:<ref>Haeri (2003)</ref><ref>Jenkins, Siona. ''Egyptian Arabic Phrasebook''. [[Lonely Planet]] Publications, 2001. p. 205</ref> the proliferation and popularity of Egyptian films and other media in the region since the early 20th century as well as the great number of Egyptian teachers and professors who were instrumental in setting up the education systems of various countries in the [[Arabian Peninsula]] and also taught there and in other countries such as [[Algeria]] and [[Libya]]. Also, many Lebanese artists choose to sing in Egyptian and [[Lebanese Arabic|Lebanese]]. Standard Egyptian Arabic when used in documents, broadcast media, prepared speeches and sometimes in liturgical purpose, is Cairene Arabic with loanwords from Modern Standard Arabic origin or code-switching between Cairene Arabic and  [https://www.arabacademy.com/egyptian-arabic-vs-modern-standard-arabic/ Modern Standard Arabic].{{better citation|date=July 2020}}

== History ==
Arabic was spoken in parts of Egypt such as the [[Eastern Desert]] and [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] before Islam.<ref>''The History of Herodotus'' by George Rawlinson, p.e 9</ref> However, Nile Valley [[Egyptians]] slowly adopted Arabic as a [[written language]] following the [[Muslim conquest of Egypt]] in the seventh century. Until then, they had spoken either [[Koine Greek]] or [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] in its [[Coptic language|Coptic]] form. A period of Coptic-Arabic bilingualism in [[Lower Egypt]] lasted for more than three centuries. The period would last much longer in the south. Arabic had been already familiar to Valley Egyptians since Arabic had been spoken throughout the [[Eastern Desert]] and [[Sinai (peninsula)|Sinai]]. Arabic was also a minority language of some residents of the Nile Valley such as [[Qift]] in Upper Egypt through pre-Islamic trade with [[Nabateans]] in the [[Sinai Peninsula]] and the easternmost part of the [[Nile Delta]]. Egyptian Arabic seems to have begun taking shape in [[Fustat]], the first Islamic capital of Egypt, now part of [[Cairo]].

One of the earliest linguistic sketches of Cairene Arabic is a 16th-century document entitled ''{{transl|ar|DIN|Dafʿ al-ʾiṣr ʿan kalām ahl Miṣr}}'' <ref>{{Cite book|last=Zack|first=Liesbeth|url=https://www.academia.edu/39310493/Edition_of_Daf_al-Isr_%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%B1_%D8%B9%D9%86_%D9%83%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%A3%D9%87%D9%84_%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1|title=Edition of Daf&#39; al-Isr دفع الإصر عن كلام أهل مصر|language=en}}</ref>({{lang|ar|دفع الإصر عن كلام أهل مصر}}, "The Removal of the Burden from the Language of the People of Cairo") by [[Yusuf al-Maghribi]] ({{lang|ar|يوسف المغربي}}). With Misr here meaning Cairo. It contains key information on early Cairene Arabic and the language situation in [[Egypt in the Middle Ages]]. The main purpose of the document was to show that while the Cairenes' vernacular contained many critical "errors" vis-à-vis Classical Arabic, according to al-Maghribi, it was also related to Arabic in other respects. With many waves of immigration from the Arabian peninsula such as the [[Banu Hilal]] exodus, together with the ongoing [[Islamization]] and [[Arabization]] of the country, multiple Arabic varieties, one of which is Egyptian Arabic, slowly supplanted spoken Coptic. Local chroniclers mention the continued use of Coptic as a spoken language until the 17th century by peasant women in [[Upper Egypt]]. Coptic is still the [[liturgical language]] of the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]].

== Status ==
Egyptian Arabic has no official status and is not officially recognized as a language. [[Modern Standard Arabic|Standard Arabic]] is the official language of the state as per constitutional law .<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-04-03|title=الدستور المصري المعدل 2019|url=https://manshurat.org/node/14675|access-date=2020-06-16|website=منشورات قانونية|language=ar}}</ref> Interest in the local [[vernacular]] began in the 1800s (in opposition to the language of the ruling class, Turkish), as the Egyptian national movement for [[self-determination]] was taking shape. For many decades to follow, questions about the reform and the modernization of Arabic were hotly debated in Egyptian intellectual circles. Proposals ranged from developing [[neologism]]s to replace archaic terminology in Modern Standard Arabic to the simplification of syntactical and morphological rules and the introduction of [[colloquialism]]s to even complete "Egyptianization" (''tamṣīr'') by abandoning the so-called Modern Standard Arabic in favor of Masri or Egyptian Arabic.<ref name="Gershoni">{{Cite book|author=Gershoni, I., J. Jankowski. |title=Egypt, Islam, and the Arabs |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |year=1987}}</ref>

Proponents of language reform in Egypt included [[Qasim Amin]], who also wrote the first Egyptian feminist treatise, former President of the [[Cairo University|Egyptian University]], [[Ahmed Lutfi el-Sayed]], and noted intellectual [[Salama Moussa]]. They adopted a modernist, [[secular]] approach and disagreed with the assumption that Arabic was an immutable language because of its association with the [[Qur'an]]. The first modern Egyptian novel in which the dialogue was written in the vernacular was [[Muhammad Husayn Haykal]]'s [[Zaynab (novel)|''Zaynab'']] in 1913. It was inly in 1966 that [[Ali Moustafa Mosharafa|Mustafa Musharafa]]'s ''Kantara Who Disbelieved'' was released, the first novel to be written entirely in Egyptian Arabic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/18/62/50815/Books/Review/Book-Review-First-novel-written-in-colloquial-Arab.aspx|title=Book Review: First novel written in colloquial Arabic republished – Review – Books – Ahram Online|publisher=}}</ref> Other notable novelists, such as [[Ihsan Abdel Quddous]] and [[Yusuf Idris]], and poets, such as [[Salah Jahin]], [[Abdel Rahman el-Abnudi]] and [[Ahmed Fouad Negm]], helped solidify vernacular literature as a distinct literary genre.<ref name="Gershoni" />

Amongst certain groups within Egypt's elite, Egyptian Arabic enjoyed a brief period of rich literary output. That dwindled with the rise of Egyptian [[Arab nationalism]], which had gained wide popularity in Egypt by the final years of the [[Muhammad Ali dynasty]], as demonstrated vividly by Egypt's involvement in the [[1948 Arab–Israeli War]] under King [[Farouk of Egypt]]. The [[Egyptian revolution of 1952]], led by [[Mohammed Naguib]] and [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], further enhanced the significance of Arab nationalism, making it a central element of Egyptian state policy. The importance of Modern Standard Arabic was reemphasised in the public sphere by the revolutionary government, and efforts to accord any formal language status to the Egyptian vernacular were ignored. Egyptian Arabic was identified as a mere dialect, one that was not spoken even in all of Egypt, as almost all of [[Upper Egypt]] speaks [[Sa'idi Arabic]]. Though the revolutionary government heavily sponsored the use of the Egyptian vernacular in films, plays, television programmes, and music, the prerevolutionary use of Modern Standard Arabic in official publications was retained.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole paragraph|date=July 2020}}

Linguistic commentators{{who|date=July 2020}} have noted the multi-faceted approach of the Egyptian revolutionaries towards the Arabic language. Whereas Egypt's first [[president of Egypt|president]], Mohammed Naguib exhibited a preference for using Modern Standard Arabic in his public speeches, his successor, [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] was renowned for using the vernacular and for punctuating his speeches with traditional Egyptian words and expressions. Conversely, Modern Standard Arabic was the norm for state news outlets, including newspapers, magazines, television, and radio. That was especially true of Egypt's national broadcasting company, the [[ERTU|Arab Radio and Television Union]], which was established with the intent of providing content for the entire [[Arab world]], not merely Egypt, hence the need to broadcast in the standard, rather than the vernacular, language. The [[Voice of the Arabs]] radio station, in particular, had an audience from across the region, and the use of anything other than Modern Standard Arabic was viewed as eminently incongruous.

As the status of Egyptian Arabic as opposed to [[Classical Arabic]] can have such political and religious implications in Egypt,{{how|date=July 2020}} the question of whether Egyptian Arabic should be considered a [[Dialect#"Dialect" or "language"|"dialect" or "language"]] can be a source of debate. In [[sociolinguistics]], Egyptian Arabic can be seen as one of many distinct [[variety (linguistics)|varieties]] that, despite arguably being languages on ''[[Abstand and ausbau languages|abstand]]'' grounds, are united by a common ''[[abstand and ausbau languages#Roofing|dachsprache]]'' in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA).

== Publications ==
During the early 1900s many portions of the Bible were published in Egyptian Arabic.  These were published by the Nile Mission Press.  By 1932 the whole New Testament and some books of the Old Testament had been published in Egyptian Arabic in Arabic script.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The British Civil Engineer who made Jesus speak like an Egyptian: William Willcocks and al-Khabar al-Ṭayyib bitāʿ Yasūʿ al-Masīḥ – Biblia Arabica|url=https://biblia-arabica.com/the-british-civil-engineer-who-made-jesus-speak-like-an-egyptian-william-willcocks-and-al-khabar-al-%e1%b9%adayyib-bita%ca%bf-yasu%ca%bf-al-masi%e1%b8%a5/|last=Binder {{!}}|first=Adrian|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-27}}</ref>

== Spoken varieties ==
[[Sa'idi Arabic|Sa‘īdi Arabic]] is a different variety than Egyptian Arabic in Ethnologue.com and ISO 639-3 and in other sources,<ref>David Dalby, 1999/2000, ''The Linguasphere Register'', The Linguasphere Observatory<br />William Bright, 1992, ''The International Encyclopedia of Linguistics'', Oxford.</ref> and the two varieties have limited [[mutual intelligibility]]. It carries little prestige nationally but continues to be widely spoken, with 19,000,000 speakers.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Arabic, Sa'idi Spoken|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/aec|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Ethnologue|publisher=}}</ref>

The traditional division between [[Upper and Lower Egypt]] and their respective differences go back to ancient times. Egyptians today commonly call the people of the north '''{{transl|arz|baḥarwa}}''' ({{IPA|[bɑˈħɑɾwɑ]}}) and those of the south '''{{transl|arz|ṣaʿayda}}''' ({{IPA|[sˤɑˈʕɑjdɑ]}}). The differences throughout Egypt, however, are more wide-ranging and do not neatly correspond to the simple division. The language shifts from the eastern to the western parts of the [[Nile Delta]], and the varieties spoken from [[Giza]] to [[Minya, Egypt|Minya]] are further grouped into a Middle Egypt cluster. Despite the differences, there are features distinguishing all the Egyptian Arabic varieties of the Nile Valley from any other varieties of Arabic. Such features include [[vowel reduction|reduction of long vowels]] in open and unstressed syllables, the postposition of demonstratives and interrogatives, the modal meaning of the imperfect and the integration of the participle.<ref>Versteegh, p. 162</ref>

The [[Libyan Arabic|Western Egyptian Bedawi Arabic]] variety<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ayl|title=Arabic, Libyan Spoken|publisher=}}</ref> of the western desert differs from all other Arabic varieties in Egypt in that it linguistically is part of [[Maghrebi Arabic]].<ref>David Dalby, 1999/2000, ''The Linguasphere Register'', The Linguasphere Observatory</ref> [[Northwest Arabian Arabic]] is also distinct from Egyptian Arabic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=avl|title=Arabic, Eastern Egyptian Bedawi Spoken|publisher=}}</ref>

=== Regional variation ===
{{unreferenced-section|date=July 2020}}

Egyptian Arabic varies regionally across its ''sprachraum'', with certain characteristics being noted as typical of the speech of certain regions.

==== Alexandria ====
The dialect of [[Alexandria]] (West Delta) is noted for certain [[shibboleth]]s separating its speech from that of Cairo (South Delta). The ones that are most frequently noted in popular discourse are the use of the word ''[[falafel]]'' as opposed to ''ṭa`meyya'' for the fava-bean fritters common across the country and the pronunciation of the word for the [[Egyptian pound]] as {{IPA-arz|ˈɡeni|}}, rather than the Cairene {{IPA-arz|ɡeˈneː|}} (closer to the pronunciation of the origin of the term, the British [[guinea (British coin)|guinea]]). The speech of the older Alexandrian families is also noted for use of the first-person plural even when they speak in the singular.

==== Port Said ====
[[Port Said]]'s dialect (East Delta) is noted for a "heavier", more guttural sound, compared to other regions of the country.

== Phonology ==
{{Main|Egyptian Arabic phonology}}
Egyptian Arabic has a phonology that differs slightly from that of other varieties of Arabic and has its own inventory of consonants and vowels.

== Morphology ==

=== Nouns ===
In contrast to CA and MSA, nouns are not inflected for case and lack [[nunation]] (with the exception of certain fixed phrases in the accusative case, such as {{lang|ar|شكراً}} {{IPA|[ˈʃokɾɑn]}}, "thank you"). As all nouns take their [[pausal pronunciation|pausal]] forms, singular words and [[broken plural]]s simply lose their case endings. In sound plurals and dual forms, where, in MSA, difference in case is present even in pausal forms, the genitive/accusative form is the one preserved. Fixed expressions in the [[construct state]] beginning in ''abu'', often geographic names, retain their ''-u'' in all cases.<ref>See e.g. Behnstedt & Woidich (2005)</ref>

==== Plurals ====
{|class="wikitable"
|+Most common broken plural patterns
! Singular !! Plural !! Notes !! Examples
|-
| CVCCVC(a) || CaCaaCiC || any four-character root with short second vowel || ''maktab, makaatib'' "desk, office"; ''markib, maraakib'' "boat"; ''maṭbax, maṭaabix'' "kitchen"; ''masʔala, masaaʔil'' "matter"; ''maṭṛaḥ, maṭaaṛiḥ'' "place"; ''masṛaḥ, masaaṛiḥ'' "theater"; ''tazkaṛa, tazaakir'' "ticket"; ''ʔiswira, ʔasaawir'' "bracelet"; ''muʃkila, maʃaakil'' "problem"; ''muulid, mawaalid'' "(holy) birthday"; maktaba, maktabaa "stationary";
|-
| CVCCVVC(a) || CaCaCiiC || any four-character root with long second vowel || ''fustaan, fasatiin'' "dress"; ''guṛnaal, gaṛaniil'' "newspaper"; ''muftaaḥ, mafatiiḥ'' "key"; ''fingaan, fanagiin'' "cup"; ''sikkiina, sakakiin'' "knife"; ''tamriin, tamariin'' "exercise"; ''siggaada, sagagiid'' "carpet"; ''magmuuʕ, magamiiʕ'' "total"; ''maṣruuf, maṣaṛiif'' "expense"; ''maskiin, masakiin'' "poor, pitiable"
|-
| CaC(i)C, CiCC, CeeC (< ''*CayC'') || CuCuuC || very common for three-character roots || ''dars, duruus'' "lesson"; ''daxl, duxuul'' "income"; ''daʔn, duʔuun'' "chin"; ''ḍeef, ḍuyuuf'' "guest"; ''ḍirṣ, ḍuruuṣ'' "molar tooth"; ''fann, funuun'' "art"; ''farʔ, furuuʔ'' "difference"; ''faṣl, fuṣuul'' "class, chapter"; ''geeb, guyuub'' "pocket"; ''geeʃ, guyuuʃ'' "army"; ''gild, guluud'' "leather"; ''ḥall, ḥuluul'' "solution"; ''ḥarb, ḥuruub'' "war"; ''ḥaʔʔ, ḥuʔuuʔ'' "right"; ''malik, muluuk'' "king"
|-
| CaC(a)C, CiCC, CuCC, CooC (< ''*CawC'') || ʔaCCaaC || very common for three-character roots || ''durg, ʔadṛaag'' "drawer"; ''duʃʃ, ʔadʃaaʃ'' "shower"; ''film, ʔaflaam'' "film"; ''miʃṭ, ʔamʃaaṭ'' "comb"; ''mitr, ʔamtaaṛ'' "meter"; ''gism, ʔagsaam''; ''guzʔ, ʔagzaaʔ'' "part"; ''muxx, ʔamxaax'' "brain"; ''nahṛ, ʔanhaaṛ'' "river"; ''door, ʔadwaaṛ'' "(one's) turn, floor (of building)"; ''nooʕ, ʔanwaaʕ'' "kind, sort"; ''yoom, ʔayyaam'' "day"; ''nuṣṣ, ʔanṣaaṣ'' "half"; ''qism, ʔaqṣaam'' "division"; ''waʔt, ʔawʔaat'' "time"; ''faṛaḥ, ʔafṛaaḥ'' "joy, wedding"; ''gaṛas, ʔagṛaas'' "bell"; ''maṭaṛ, ʔamṭaaṛ'' "rain"; ''taman, ʔatmaan'' "price"; ''walad, ʔawlaad'' "boy"
|-
| CaaC, CuuC || ʔaCwaaC || variant of previous || ''ḥaal, ʔaḥwaal'' "state, condition"; ''nuur, ʔanwaaṛ'' "light"
|-
| CaCCa, CooCa (< ''*CawCa'') || CiCaC, CuCaC || ''CaCCa'' < Classical ''CaCCa'' (not ''CaaCiCa'') || ''gazma, gizam'' "shoe"; ''dawla, duwal'' "state, country"; ''ḥalla, ḥilal'' "pot"; ''ʃooka, ʃuwak'' "fork"; ''taxta, tuxat'' "blackboard"
|-
| CiCCa || CiCaC || || ''ḥiṣṣa, ḥiṣaṣ'' "allotment"; ''ḥiṭṭa, ḥiṭaṭ'' "piece"; ''minḥa, minaḥ'' "scholarship"; ''nimra, nimar'' "number"; ''qiṣṣa, qiṣaṣ'' "story"
|-
| CuCCa || CuCaC || || ''fuṛma, fuṛam'' "shape, form"; ''fuṛṣa, fuṛaṣ'' "chance"; ''fusḥa, fusaḥ'' "excursion"; ''fuuṭa, fuwaṭ'' "towel"; ''nukta, nukat'' "joke"; ''ʔuṭṭa, ʔuṭaṭ'' "cat"; ''mudda, mudad'' "period (of time)"
|-
| CVCVVC(a) || CaCaayiC || three-character roots with long second vowel || ''sigaaṛa, sagaayir'' "cigarette"; ''gariida, gaṛaayid'' "newspaper"; ''gimiil, gamaayil'' "favor"; ''ḥabiib, ḥabaayib'' "lover"; ''ḥariiʔa, ḥaraayiʔ'' "destructive fire"; ''ḥaʔiiʔa, ḥaʔaayiʔ'' "fact, truth"; ''natiiga, nataayig'' "result"; ''xaṛiiṭa, xaṛaayiṭ'' "map"; ''zibuun, zabaayin'' "customer"
|-
| CaaCiC, CaCCa || CawaaCiC || ''CaCCa'' < Classical ''CaaCiCa'' (not ''CaCCa'') || ''ḥaamil, ḥawaamil'' "pregnant"; ''haanim, hawaanim'' "lady"; ''gaamiʕ, gawaamiʕ'' "mosque"; ''maaniʕ, mawaaniʕ'' "obstacle"; ''fakha, fawaakih'' "fruit"; ''ḥadsa, ḥawaadis'' "accident"; ''fayda, fawaayid'' "benefit"; ''ʃaariʕ, ʃawaariʕ'' "street"; ''xaatim, xawaatim'' "ring"
|-
| CaaCiC || CuCCaaC || mostly occupational nouns || ''kaatib, kuttaab'' "writer"; ''saakin, sukkaan'' "inhabitant"; ''saayiḥ, suwwaaḥ'' "tourist";
|-
| CaCiiC || CuCaCa || adjectives and occupational nouns || ''faʔiir, fuʔaṛa'' "poor"; ''nabiih, nubaha'' "intelligent"; ''naʃiiṭ, nuʃaṭa'' "active"; ''raʔiis, ruʔasa'' "president"; ''safiir, sufaṛa'' "ambassador"; ''waziir, wuzaṛa'' "minister"; ''xabiir, xubaṛa'' "expert";  ''ṭaalib, ṭalaba'' "student"
|-
| CaCiiC/CiCiiC || CuCaaC || adjectives || ''gamiil, gumaal'' "beautiful"; ''naʃiiṭ, nuʃaaṭ'' "active"; ''niḍiif, nuḍaaf'' "clean"; ''tixiin, tuxaan'' "fat"   baseet, bosaaat 'simple'  ||  hbibi, hbaibi 'close people that  i love '    ||laeb, laeba   players   ||    sharea, shwarea   ''street''    
|-
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Secondary broken plural patterns
! Singular !! Plural !! Notes !! Examples
|-
| CVCCVVC || CaCaCCa || occupational nouns || ''tilmiiz, talamza'' "student"; ''ʔustaaz, ʔasatza'' "teacher"; ''simsaaṛ, samasṛa'' "broker"; ''duktoor, dakatra'' "doctor"
|-
| CaCVVC || CawaaCiiC || || ''qamuus, qawamiis'' "dictionary"; ''maʕaad, mawaʕiid'' "appointment"; ''ṭabuuṛ, ṭawabiiṛ'' "line, queue"; ''meʃwar, maʃaweer'' "Walk, Appointment"
|-
| CaCaC || CiCaaC || || ''gamal, gimaal'' "camel"; ''gabal, gibaal'' "mountain, hill"
|-
| CaCC || ʔaCCuC || || ''ʃahṛ, ʔaʃhur'' "month"
|-
| CiCaaC, CaCiiC(a) || CuCuC || || ''kitaab, kutub'' "book"; ''madiina, mudun'' "city"
|-
| CaCC(a) || CaCaaCi || || ''maʕna, maʕaani'' "meaning"; ''makwa, makaawi'' "iron"; ''ʔahwa, ʔahaawi'' "coffee"; ''ʔaṛḍ, ʔaṛaaḍi'' "ground, land"
|-
| CaaCa, CaaCi, CaCya || CawaaCi || || ''ḥaaṛa, ḥawaaṛi'' "alley"; ''naadi, nawaadi'' "club"; ''naḥya, nawaaḥi'' "side"
|-
| CaCaC, CiCaaC || ʔaCCiCa/ʔiCCiCa || || ''ḥizaam, ʔaḥzima'' "belt"; ''masal, ʔamsila'' "example"; ''sabat, ʔisbita'' "basket"
|-
| CiCiyya || CaCaaya || || ''hidiyya, hadaaya'' "gift"
|-
| CaaC || CiCaaC || || ''faaṛ, firaan'' "mouse"; ''gaaṛ, giraan'' "neighbor"; ''xaal, xilaan'' "maternal uncle"
|-
|}

==== Color/defect nouns ====
{|class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin:1em"
|+Examples of "color and defect" nouns
! Meaning !! '''(template)''' !! green !! blue !! black !! white !! deaf !! blind !! one-eyed
|-
! Masculine
| '''ʔaCCaC''' || ʔaxḍaṛ || ʔazraʔ || ʔiswid || ʔabyaḍ || ʔaṭṛaʃ || ʔaʕma || ʔaʕwaṛ
|-
! Feminine
| '''CaCCa''' || xaḍṛa || zarʔa || sooda || beeḍa || ṭaṛʃa || ʕamya || ʕooṛa
|-
! Plural
| '''CuCC''' || xuḍr || zurʔ || suud || biiḍ || ṭurʃ || ʕumy || ʕuur
|-
|}

A common set of nouns referring to colors, as well as a number of nouns referring to physical defects of various sorts (''ʔaṣlaʕ'' "bald"; ''ʔaṭṛaʃ'' "deaf"; ''ʔaxṛas'' "dumb"), take a special inflectional pattern, as shown in the table.  Note that only a small number of common colors inflect this way: ''ʔaḥmaṛ'' "red"; ''ʔazraʔ'' "blue"; ''ʔaxḍaṛ'' "green"; ''ʔaṣfaṛ'' "yellow"; ''ʔabyaḍ'' "white"; ''ʔiswid'' "black"; ''ʔasmaṛ'' "brown-skinned, brunette"; ''ʔaʃʔaṛ'' "blond(e)".  The remaining colors are invariable, and mostly so-called ''nisba'' adjectives derived from colored objects: ''bunni'' "brown" (< ''bunn'' "coffee powder"); ''ṛamaadi'' "gray" (< ''ṛamaad'' "ashes"); ''banafsigi'' "purple" (< ''banafsig'' "violet"); ''burtuʔaani'' "orange" (< ''burtuʔaan'' "oranges"); ''zibiibi'' "maroon" (< ''zibiib'' "raisins"); etc., or of foreign origin: ''beeع'' "beige" from the French; ''bamba'' "pink" from Turkish ''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pembe pembe]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hinds|first=Martin|title=A Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic|year=1986|publisher=Librairie du Liban|location=Beirut|pages=104}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

=== Pronouns ===
{|class="wikitable" style="float: right; margin:1em; text-align:center;"
|+Forms of the independent and clitic pronouns
! rowspan=3|Meaning !! rowspan=3|Subject !! colspan=9|Direct object/Possessive !! colspan=6|Indirect object
|-
! colspan=3|After vowel !! colspan=3|After 1 cons. !! colspan=3|After 2 cons.
! colspan=2|After vowel !! colspan=2|After 1 cons. !! colspan=2|After 2 cons.
|-
! Normal !! + ʃ !! + l- !! Normal !! + ʃ !! + l- !! Normal !! + ʃ !! + l-
! Normal !! + ʃ !! Normal !! + ʃ !! Normal !! + ʃ
|-
| "my" (nominal) || — || colspan=3|''- ́ya'' || colspan=6|''-i'' || colspan=6|—
|-
| "I/me" (verbal) || ''ána'' || colspan=6|''- ́ni'' || colspan=3|''-íni'' || colspan=4|''- ́li'' || colspan=2|''-íli''
|-
| "you(r) (masc.)" || ''ínta'' || colspan=3|''- ́k'' || colspan=6|''-ak'' || colspan=4|''- ́lak'' || colspan=2|''-ílak''
|-
| "you(r) (fem.)" || ''ínti'' || colspan=3|''- ́ki'' || ''-ik'' || colspan=2|''-ki'' || ''-ik'' || colspan=2|''-iki'' || ''- ́lik'' || ''-lkí'' || ''-lik'' || ''-likí'' || ''-ílik'' || ''-ilkí''
|-
| "he/him/his" || ''huwwa'' || ''- ́'' || colspan=2|''-hu'' || colspan=2|''-u'' || ''-hu'' || colspan=2|''-u'' || ''-uhu'' || colspan=4|''- ́lu'' || colspan=2|''-ílu''
|-
| "she/her" || ''hiyya'' || colspan=6|''- ́ha'' || colspan=3|''-áha'' || colspan=2|''- ́lha'' || colspan=2|''-láha'' || colspan=2|''-ílha''
|-
| "we/us/our" || ''íḥna'' || colspan=6|''- ́na'' || colspan=3|''-ína'' || colspan=2|''- ́lna'' || colspan=2|''-lína'' || colspan=2|''-ílna''
|-
| "you(r) (pl.)" || ''íntu'' || colspan=6|''- ́ku'' || colspan=3|''-úku'' || colspan=2|''- ́lku'' || colspan=2|''-lúku'' || colspan=2|''-ílku''
|-
| "they/them/their" || ''humma'' || colspan=6|''- ́hum'' || colspan=3|''-úhum'' || colspan=2|''- ́lhum'' || colspan=2|''-lúhum'' || colspan=2|''-ílhum''
|}

{|class="wikitable" style="float: right; margin:1em;"
|+Examples of possessive constructs
! Base Word !! ''béet''<br />"house" !! ''biyúut''<br />"houses" !! ''bánk''<br />"bank" !! ''sikkíina''<br />"knife" !! ''máṛa''<br />"wife" !! ''ʔább''<br />"father" !!  ''ʔidéen''<br />"hands"
|-
! Construct Base !! ''béet-'' !! ''biyúut-'' !! ''bánk-'' !! ''sikkíin(i)t-'' !! ''miṛáat-'' !! ''ʔabúu-'' !! ''ʔidée-''
|-
| "my ..." || ''béet-i'' || ''biyúut-i'' || ''bánk-i'' || ''sikkínt-i'' || ''miṛáat-i'' || ''ʔabúu-ya'' || ''ʔidáy-ya''
|-
| "your (masc.) ..." || ''béet-ak'' || ''biyúut-ak'' || ''bánk-ak'' || ''sikkínt-ak'' || ''miṛáat-ak'' || ''ʔabúu-k'' || ''ʔidée-k''
|-
| "your (fem.) ..." || ''béet-ik'' || ''biyúut-ik'' || ''bánk-ik'' || ''sikkínt-ik'' || ''miṛáat-ik'' || ''ʔabúu-ki'' || ''ʔidée-ki''
|-
| "his ..." || ''béet-u'' || ''biyúut-u'' || ''bánk-u'' || ''sikkínt-u'' || ''miṛáat-u'' || ''ʔabúu-(h)'' || ''ʔidée-(h)''
|-
| "her ..." || ''bét-ha'' || ''biyút-ha'' || ''bank-áha'' || ''sikkinít-ha'' || ''miṛát-ha'' || ''ʔabúu-ha'' || ''ʔidée-ha''
|-
| "our ..." || ''bét-na'' || ''biyút-na'' || ''bank-ína'' || ''sikkinít-na'' || ''miṛát-na'' || ''ʔabúu-na'' || ''ʔidée-na''
|-
| "your (pl.) ..." || ''bét-ku'' || ''biyút-ku'' || ''bank-úku'' || ''sikkinít-ku'' || ''miṛát-ku'' || ''ʔabúu-ku'' || ''ʔidée-ku''
|-
| "their ..." || ''bét-hum'' || ''biyút-hum'' || ''bank-úhum'' || ''sikkinít-hum'' || ''miṛát-hum'' || ''ʔabúu-hum'' || ''ʔidée-hum''
|}

{|class="wikitable" style="float: right; margin:1em;"
|+Suffixed prepositions
! Base Word !! ''fi''<br />"in" !! ''bi''<br />"by, in, with" !! ''li''<br />"to" !! ''wayya''<br />"with" !! ''ʕala''<br />"on" !! ''ʕand''<br />"in the<br />possession of,<br />to have" !!  ''min''<br />"from"
|-
| "... me" || ''fíy-ya'' || ''bíy-ya'' || ''líy-ya'' || ''wayyáa-ya'' || ''ʕaláy-ya'' || ''ʕánd-i'' || ''mínn-i''
|-
| "... you (masc.)" || ''fíi-k'' || ''bíi-k'' || ''líi-k, l-ak'' || ''wayyáa-k'' || ''ʕalée-k'' || ''ʕánd-ak'' || ''mínn-ak''
|-
| "... you (fem.)" || ''fíi-ki'' || ''bíi-ki'' || ''líi-ki, li-ki'' || ''wayyáa-ki'' || ''ʕalée-ki'' || ''ʕánd-ik'' || ''mínn-ik''
|-
| "... him" || ''fíi-(h)'' || ''bíi-(h)'' || ''líi-(h), l-u(h)'' || ''wayyáa-(h)'' || ''ʕalée-(h)'' || ''ʕánd-u'' || ''mínn-u''
|-
| "... her" || ''fíi-ha'' || ''bíi-ha'' || ''líi-ha, la-ha'' || ''wayyáa-ha'' || ''ʕalée-ha'' || ''ʕand-áha'' || ''minn-áha, mín-ha''
|-
| "... us" || ''fíi-na'' || ''bíi-na'' || ''líi-na, li-na'' || ''wayyáa-na'' || ''ʕalée-na'' || ''ʕand-ína'' || ''minn-ína''
|-
| "... you (pl.)" || ''fíi-ku'' || ''bíi-ku'' || ''líi-ku, li-ku'' || ''wayyáa-ku'' || ''ʕalée-ku'' || ''ʕand-úku'' || ''minn-úku, mín-ku''
|-
| "... them" || ''fíi-hum'' || ''bíi-hum'' || ''líi-hum, li-hum'' || ''wayyáa-hum'' || ''ʕalée-hum'' || ''ʕand-úhum'' || ''minn-úhum, mín-hum''
|}

Egyptian Arabic object pronouns are [[clitic]]s, in that they attach to the end of a noun, verb, or preposition, with the result forming a single phonological word rather than separate words.  Clitics can be attached to the following types of words:
*A clitic pronoun attached to a noun indicates possession: ''béet'' "house", ''béet-i'' "my house"; ''sikkíina'' "knife", ''sikkínt-i'' "my knife";  ''ʔább'' "father", ''ʔabúu-ya'' "my father".  Note that the form of a pronoun may vary depending on the phonological form of the word being attached to (ending with a vowel or with one or two consonants), and the noun being attached to may also have a separate "construct" form before possessive clitic suffixes.
*A clitic pronoun attached to a preposition indicates the object of the preposition:  ''minno'' "from it (masculine object)", ''ʕaleyha'' "on it (feminine object)"
*A clitic pronoun attached to a verb indicates the object of the verb: ''ʃúft'' "I saw", ''ʃúft-u'' "I saw him", ''ʃuft-áha'' "I saw her".

With verbs, indirect object clitic pronouns can be formed using the preposition ''li-'' plus a clitic.  Both direct and indirect object clitic pronouns can be attached to a single verb: ''agíib'' "I bring", ''agíb-hu'' "I bring it", ''agib-húu-lik'' "I bring it to you", ''m-agib-hu-lkíi-ʃ'' "I do not bring it to you".

=== Verbs ===
Verbs in Arabic are based on a stem made up of three or four consonants. The set of consonants communicates the basic meaning of a verb. Changes to the vowels in between the consonants, along with prefixes and/or suffixes, specify grammatical functions such as tense, person, and number, in addition to changes in the meaning of the verb that embody grammatical concepts such as [[causative]], [[intensive]], [[passive voice|passive]] or [[reflexive verb|reflexive]].

Each particular [[lexical verb]] is specified by two stems, one used for the past tense and one used for non-past tenses along with as [[Subjunctive mood|subjunctive]] and [[Imperative mood|imperative]] moods. To the former stem, suffixes are added to mark the verb for person, number, and gender, while to the latter stem, a combination of prefixes and suffixes are added. (Very approximately, the prefixes specify the person and the suffixes indicate number and gender.) The third person masculine singular past tense form serves as the "dictionary form" used to identify a verb, similar to the [[infinitive]] in English (Arabic has no infinitive). For example, the verb meaning "write" is often specified as ''kátab'', which actually means "he wrote".  In the paradigms below, a verb will be specified as ''kátab/yíktib'' (where ''kátab'' means "he wrote" and ''yíktib'' means "he writes"), indicating the past stem (''katab-'') and non-past stem (''-ktib-'', obtained by removing the prefix ''yi-'').

The verb classes in Arabic are formed along two axes.  One axis (described as "form I", "form II", etc.) is used to specify grammatical concepts such as [[causative]], [[intensive]], [[passive voice|passive]], or [[reflexive verb|reflexive]], and involves varying the stem form.  For example, from the root K-T-B "write" is derived form I '''kátab/yíktib''' "write", form II '''káttib/yikáttib''' "cause to write", form III '''ká:tib/yiká:tib''' "correspond", etc.  The other axis is determined by the particular consonants making up the root.  For example, defective verbs have a W or Y as the last root consonant, which is often reflected in paradigms with an extra final vowel in the stem (e.g. '''ráma/yírmi''' "throw" from R-M-Y); meanwhile, hollow verbs have a W or Y as the middle root consonant, and the stems of such verbs appear to have only two consonants (e.g. '''gá:b/yigí:b''' "bring" from G-Y-B).

==== Strong verbs ====
Strong verbs are those that have no "weakness" (e.g. W or Y) in the root consonants.
Each verb has a given vowel pattern for Past (a or i) and Present (a or i or u). Combinations of each exist.

===== Regular verbs, form I =====

Form I verbs have a given vowel pattern for past ('''a''' or '''i''') and present ('''a''', '''i''' or '''u'''). Combinations of each exist:

{| class="wikitable centered" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" | Vowel patterns
! rowspan="2" | Example
|-
!Past
!Present
|-
|a
|a
|ḍár'''a'''b – yíḍr'''a'''b ''to beat''
|-
|a
|i
|kát'''a'''b – yíkt'''i'''b ''to write''
|-
|a
|u
|ṭál'''a'''b – yíṭl'''u'''b~yúṭl'''u'''b ''to order, to demand''
|-
|i
|a
|fíh'''i'''m – yífh'''a'''m ''to understand''
|-
|i
|i
|mis'''i'''k – yíms'''i'''k ''to hold, to touch''
|-
|i
|u
|sik'''i'''t – yísk'''u'''t~yúsk'''u'''t ''to be silent, to shut up''
|}

===== Regular verb, form I, fáʕal/yífʕil =====

Example: '''kátab/yíktib''' "write"

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/Mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Present Subjunctive
!  colspan=2|Present Indicative
!  colspan=2|Future
!  colspan=2|Imperative
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  ''katáb-t''
|  ''katáb-na''
|  ''á-ktib''
|  ''ní-ktib''
|  ''bá-ktib''
|  ''bi-ní-ktib''
|  ''ḥá-ktib''
|  ''ḥá-ní-ktib''
| colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''katáb-t''
| rowspan=2|''katáb-tu''
|  ''tí-ktib''
| rowspan=2|''ti-ktíb-u''
|  ''bi-tí-ktib''
| rowspan=2|''bi-ti-ktíb-u''
|  ''ḥa-tí-ktib''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-ti-ktíb-u''
|  ''í-ktib''
| rowspan=2|''i-ktíb-u''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  ''katáb-ti''
|  ''ti-ktíb-i''
|  ''bi-ti-ktíb-i''
|  ''ḥa-ti-ktíb-i''
|  ''i-ktíb-i''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''kátab''
| rowspan=2|''kátab-u''
|  ''yí-ktib''
| rowspan=2|''yi-ktíb-u''
|  ''bi-yí-ktib''
| rowspan=2|''bi-yi-ktíb-u''
|  ''ḥa-yí-ktib''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-yi-ktíb-u''
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  ''kátab-it''
|  ''tí-ktib''
|  ''bi-tí-ktib''
|  ''ḥa-tí-ktib''
|-
|}

Note that, in general, the present indicative is formed from the subjunctive by the addition of ''bi-'' (''bi-a-'' is elided to ''ba-'').  Similarly, the future is formed from the subjunctive by the addition of ''ḥa-'' (''ḥa-a-'' is elided to ''ḥa-'').  The ''i'' in ''bi-'' or in the following prefix will be deleted according to the regular rules of vowel syncope:
*'''híyya b-tíktib''' "she writes" ('''híyya''' + '''bi-''' + '''tíktib''')
*'''híyya bi-t-ʃú:f''' "she sees" ('''híyya''' + '''bi-''' + '''tiʃú:f''')
*'''an-áktib''' "I write (subjunctive)" ('''ána''' + '''áktib''')

Example: '''kátab/yíktib''' "write": non-finite forms

{| class="wikitable"
!  Number/Gender
!  Active Participle
!  Passive Participle
!  Verbal Noun
|-
!  Masc. Sg.
|  ''ká:tib''
|  ''maktú:b''
|  rowspan=3|''kitá:ba''
|-
!  Fem. Sg.
|  ''kátb-a''
|  ''maktú:b-a''
|-
!  Pl.
|  ''katb-í:n''
|  ''maktub-í:n''
|-
|}

===== Regular verb, form I, fíʕil/yífʕal =====

Example: '''fíhim/yífham''' "understand"

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/Mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Present Subjunctive
!  colspan=2|Present Indicative
!  colspan=2|Future
!  colspan=2|Imperative
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  ''fihím-t''
|  ''fihím-na''
|  ''á-fham''
|  ''ní-fham''
|  ''bá-fham''
|  ''bi-ní-fham''
|  ''ḥá-fham''
|  ''ḥá-ní-fham''
| colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''fihím-t''
| rowspan=2|''fihím-tu''
|  ''tí-fham''
| rowspan=2|''ti-fhám-u''
|  ''bi-tí-fham''
| rowspan=2|''bi-ti-fhám-u''
|  ''ḥa-tí-fham''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-ti-fhám-u''
|  ''í-fham''
| rowspan=2|''i-fhám-u''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  ''fihím-ti''
|  ''ti-fhám-i''
|  ''bi-ti-fhám-i''
|  ''ḥa-ti-fhám-i''
|  ''i-fhám-i''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''fíhim''
| rowspan=2|'''''fíhm-u'''''
|  ''yí-fham''
| rowspan=2|''yi-fhám-u''
|  ''bi-yí-fham''
| rowspan=2|''bi-yi-fhám-u''
|  ''ḥa-yí-fham''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-yi-fhám-u''
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''fíhm-it'''''
|  ''tí-fham''
|  ''bi-tí-fham''
|  ''ḥa-tí-fham''
|-
|}

Boldfaced forms '''''fíhm-it''''' and '''''fíhm-u''''' differ from the corresponding forms of '''katab''' ('''''kátab-it''''' and '''''kátab-u''''' due to vowel syncope).  Note also the syncope in '''ána fhím-t''' "I understood".

===== Regular verb, form II, fáʕʕil/yifáʕʕil =====

Example: '''dárris/yidárris''' "teach"

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/Mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Present Subjunctive
!  colspan=2|Present Indicative
!  colspan=2|Future
!  colspan=2|Imperative
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  ''darrís-t''
|  ''darrís-na''
|  ''a-dárris''
|  ''ni-dárris''
|  ''ba-dárris''
|  ''bi-'''n-'''dárris''
|  ''ḥa-dárris''
|  ''ḥa-'''n-'''dárris''
| colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''darrís-t''
| rowspan=2|''darrís-tu''
|  ''ti-dárris''
| rowspan=2|''ti-darrís-u''
|  ''bi-'''t-'''dárris''
| rowspan=2|''bi-'''t-'''darrís-u''
|  ''ḥa-'''t-'''dárris''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-'''t-'''darrís-u''
|  '''''dárris'''''
| rowspan=2|'''''darrís-u'''''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  ''darrís-ti''
|  ''ti-darrís-i''
|  ''bi-'''t-'''darrís-i''
|  ''ḥa-'''t-'''darrís-i''
|  '''''darrís-i'''''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''dárris''
| rowspan=2|'''''darrís-u'''''
|  ''yi-dárris''
| rowspan=2|''yi-darrís-u''
|  ''bi-'''y-'''dárris''
| rowspan=2|''bi-'''y-'''darrís-u''
|  ''ḥa-'''y-'''dárris''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-'''y-'''darrís-u''
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''darrís-it'''''
|  ''ti-dárris''
|  ''bi-'''t-'''dárris''
|  ''ḥa-'''t-'''dárris''
|-
|}

Boldfaced forms indicate the primary differences from the corresponding forms of '''katab''':
*The prefixes ''ti-'', ''yi-'', ''ni-'' have elision of ''i'' following ''bi-'' or ''ḥa-'' (all verbs whose stem begins with a single consonant behave this way).
*The imperative prefix ''i-'' is missing (again, all verbs whose stem begins with a single consonant behave this way).
*Due to the regular operation of the stress rules, the stress in the past tense forms '''''darrís-it''''' and '''''darrís-u''''' differs from '''''kátab-it''''' and '''''kátab-u'''''.

===== Regular verb, form III, fá:ʕil/yifá:ʕil =====

Example: '''sá:fir/yisá:fir''' "travel"

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/Mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Present Subjunctive
!  colspan=2|Present Indicative
!  colspan=2|Future
!  colspan=2|Imperative
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  '''''sa'''fír-t''
|  '''''sa'''fír-na''
|  ''a-sá:fir''
|  ''ni-sá:fir''
|  ''ba-sá:fir''
|  ''bi-n-sá:fir''
|  ''ḥa-sá:fir''
|  ''ḥa-n-sá:fir''
| colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  '''''sa'''fír-t''
| rowspan=2|'''''sa'''fír-tu''
|  ''ti-sá:fir''
| rowspan=2|''ti-'''sáfr'''-u''
|  ''bi-t-sá:fir''
| rowspan=2|''bi-t-'''sáfr'''-u''
|  ''ḥa-t-sá:fir''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-t-'''sáfr'''-u''
|  ''sá:fir''
| rowspan=2|'''''sáfr'''-u''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''sa'''fír-ti''
|  ''ti-'''sáfr'''-i''
|  ''bi-t-'''sáfr'''-i''
|  ''ḥa-t-'''sáfr'''-i''
|  '''''sáfr'''-i''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''sá:fir''
| rowspan=2|'''''sáfr'''-u''
|  ''yi-sá:fir''
| rowspan=2|''yi-'''sáfr'''-u''
|  ''bi-y-sá:fir''
| rowspan=2|''bi-y-'''sáfr'''-u''
|  ''ḥa-y-sá:fir''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-y-'''sáfr'''-u''
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''sáfr'''-it''
|  ''ti-sá:fir''
|  ''bi-t-sá:fir''
|  ''ḥa-t-sá:fir''
|-
|}

The primary differences from the corresponding forms of '''darris''' (shown in boldface) are:
*The long vowel ''a:'' becomes ''a'' when unstressed.
*The ''i'' in the stem ''sa:fir'' is elided when a suffix beginning with a vowel follows.

==== Defective verbs ====

Defective verbs have a W or Y as the last root consonant.

===== Defective verb, form I, fáʕa/yífʕi =====

Example: '''ráma/yírmi''' "throw away" (i.e. trash, etc.)

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/Mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Present Subjunctive
!  colspan=2|Present Indicative
!  colspan=2|Future
!  colspan=2|Imperative
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  '''''ramé:'''-t''
|  '''''ramé:'''-na''
|  ''á-rmi''
|  ''ní-rmi''
|  ''bá-rmi''
|  ''bi-ní-rmi''
|  ''ḥá-rmi''
|  ''ḥa-ní-rmi''
| colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  '''''ramé:'''-t''
| rowspan=2|'''''ramé:'''-tu''
|  ''tí-rmi''
| rowspan=2|'''''tí-rm'''-u''
|  ''bi-tí-rmi''
| rowspan=2|''bi-'''tí-rm'''-u''
|  ''ḥa-tí-rmi''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-'''tí-rm'''-u''
|  ''í-rmi''
| rowspan=2|'''''í-rm'''-u''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''ramé:'''-ti''
|  '''''tí-rm'''-i''
|  ''bi-'''tí-rm'''-i''
|  ''ḥa-'''tí-rm'''-i''
|  '''''í-rm'''-i''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''ráma''
| rowspan=2|'''''rám-u'''''
|  ''yí-rmi''
| rowspan=2|'''''yí-rm'''-u''
|  ''bi-yí-rmi''
| rowspan=2|''bi-'''yí-rm'''-u''
|  ''ḥa-yí-rmi''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-'''yí-rm'''-u''
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''rám'''-it''
|  ''tí-rmi''
|  ''bi-tí-rmi''
|  ''ḥa-tí-rmi''
|-
|}

The primary differences from the corresponding forms of '''katab''' (shown in boldface) are:
*In the past, there are three stems: '''ráma''' with no suffix, '''ramé:-''' with a consonant-initial suffix, '''rám-''' with a vowel initial suffix.
*In the non-past, the stem '''rmi''' becomes '''rm-''' before a (vowel initial) suffix, and the stress remains on the prefix, since the stem vowel has been elided.
*Note also the accidental homonymy between masculine '''tí-rmi, í-rmi''' and feminine '''tí-rm-i, í-rm-i'''.

===== Defective verb, form I, fíʕi/yífʕa =====

Example: '''nísi/yínsa''' "forget"

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/Mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Present Subjunctive
!  colspan=2|Present Indicative
!  colspan=2|Future
!  colspan=2|Imperative
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  '''''nisí:'''-t''
|  '''''nisí:'''-na''
|  ''á-nsa''
|  ''ní-nsa''
|  ''bá-nsa''
|  ''bi-ní-nsa''
|  ''ḥá-nsa''
|  ''ḥa-ní-nsa''
| colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  '''''nisí:'''-t''
| rowspan=2|'''''nisí:'''-tu''
|  ''tí-nsa''
| rowspan=2|''tí-ns-u''
|  ''bi-tí-nsa''
| rowspan=2|''bi-tí-ns-u''
|  ''ḥa-tí-nsa''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-tí-ns-u''
|  ''í-nsa''
| rowspan=2|''í-ns-u''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''nisí:'''-ti''
|  ''tí-ns-i''
|  ''bi-tí-ns-i''
|  ''ḥa-tí-ns-i''
|  ''í-ns-i''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''nísi''
| rowspan=2|'''''nísy-u'''''
|  ''yí-nsa''
| rowspan=2|''yí-ns-u''
|  ''bi-yí-nsa''
| rowspan=2|''bi-yí-ns-u''
|  ''ḥa-yí-nsa''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-yí-ns-u''
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''nísy'''-it''
|  ''tí-nsa''
|  ''bi-tí-nsa''
|  ''ḥa-tí-nsa''
|-
|}

This verb type is quite similar to the defective verb type '''ráma/yírmi'''.  The primary differences are:
*The occurrence of ''i'' and ''a'' in the stems are reversed: ''i'' in the past, ''a'' in the non-past.
*In the past, instead of the stems '''ramé:-''' and '''rám-''', the verb has '''nisí:-''' (with a consonant-initial suffix) and '''nísy-''' (with a vowel initial suffix).  Note in particular the |y| in '''nísyit''' and '''nísyu''' as opposed to '''rámit''' and '''rámu'''.
*Elision of ''i'' in '''nisí:-''' can occur, e.g. '''ána nsí:t''' "I forgot".
*In the non-past, because the stem has ''a'' instead of ''i'', there is no homonymy between masculine '''tí-nsa, í-nsa''' and feminine '''tí-ns-i, í-ns-i'''.

Note that some other verbs have different stem variations, e.g. '''míʃi/yímʃi''' "walk" (with ''i'' in both stems) and '''báʔa/yíbʔa''' "become, remain" (with ''a'' in both stems).  The verb '''láʔa/yilá:ʔi''' "find" is unusual in having a mixture of a form I past and form III present (note also the variations '''líʔi/yílʔa''' and '''láʔa/yílʔa''').

Verbs other than form I have consistent stem vowels.  All such verbs have ''a'' in the past (hence form stems with ''-é:-'', not ''-í:-'').  Forms V, VI, X and IIq have ''a'' in the present (indicated by boldface below); others have ''i''; forms VII, VIIt, and VIII have ''i'' in both vowels of the stem (indicated by italics below); form IX verbs, including "defective" verbs, behave as regular doubled verbs:
* Form II: '''wádda/yiwáddi''' "take away"; '''ʔáwwa/yiʔáwwi''' "strengthen"
* Form III: '''ná:da/yiná:di''' "call"; '''dá:wa/yidá:wi''' "treat, cure"
* Form IV (rare, classicized): '''ʔárḍa/yírḍi "please, satisfy'''
* '''Form V''': '''itʔáwwa/yitʔáwwa''' "become strong"
* '''Form VI''': '''itdá:wa/yitdá:wa''' "be treated, be cured"
* ''Form VII'' (rare in the Cairene dialect): '''inḥáka/yinḥíki''' "be told"
* ''Form VIIt'': '''itnása/yitnísi''' "be forgotten"
* ''Form VIII'': '''iʃtára/yiʃtíri''' "buy"
* '''Form IX''' (very rare): '''iḥláww/yiḥláww''' "be/become sweet"
* '''Form X''': '''istákfa/yistákfa''' "have enough"
* Form Iq: ''need example''
* '''Form IIq''': ''need example''

==== Hollow verbs ====
Hollow have a W or Y as the middle root consonant.  Note that for some forms (e.g. form II and form III), hollow verbs are conjugated as strong verbs (e.g. form II ''ʕáyyin/yiʕáyyin'' "appoint" from ʕ-Y-N, form III ''gá:wib/yigá:wib'' "answer" from G-W-B).

===== Hollow verb, form I, fá:l/yifí:l =====

Example: '''gá:b/yigí:b''' "bring"

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Present subjunctive
!  colspan=2|Present indicative
!  colspan=2|Future
!  colspan=2|Imperative
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  '''''gíb'''-t''
|  '''''gíb'''-na''
|  ''a-gí:b''
|  ''ni-gí:b''
|  ''ba-gí:b''
|  ''bi-n-gí:b''
|  ''ḥa-gí:b''
|  ''ḥa-n-gí:b''
| colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  '''''gíb'''-t''
| rowspan=2|'''''gíb'''-tu''
|  ''ti-gí:b''
| rowspan=2|''ti-gí:b-u''
|  ''bi-t-gí:b''
| rowspan=2|''bi-t-gí:b-u''
|  ''ḥa-t-gí:b''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-t-gí:b-u''
|  ''gí:b''
| rowspan=2|''gí:b-u''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''gíb'''-ti''
|  ''ti-gí:b-i''
|  ''bi-t-gí:b-i''
|  ''ḥa-t-gí:b-i''
|  ''gí:b-i''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''gá:b''
| rowspan=2|''gá:b-u''
|  ''yi-gí:b''
| rowspan=2|''yi-gí:b-u''
|  ''bi-y-gí:b''
| rowspan=2|''bi-y-gí:b-u''
|  ''ḥa-y-gí:b''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-y-gí:b-u''
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  ''gá:b-it''
|  ''ti-gí:b''
|  ''bi-t-gí:b''
|  ''ḥa-t-gí:b''
|-
|}

This verb works much like '''dárris/yidárris''' "teach".  Like all verbs whose stem begins with a single consonant, the prefixes differ in the following way from those of regular and defective form I verbs:
*The prefixes ''ti-'', ''yi-'', ''ni-'' have elision of ''i'' following ''bi-'' or ''ḥa-''.
*The imperative prefix ''i-'' is missing.

In addition, the past tense has two stems: '''gíb-''' before consonant-initial suffixes (first and second person) and '''gá:b-''' elsewhere (third person).

===== Hollow verb, form I, fá:l/yifú:l =====

Example: '''ʃá:f/yiʃú:f''' "see"

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/Mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Present Subjunctive
!  colspan=2|Present Indicative
!  colspan=2|Future
!  colspan=2|Imperative
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  '''''ʃúf'''-t''
|  '''''ʃúf'''-na''
|  ''a-ʃú:f''
|  ''ni-ʃú:f''
|  ''ba-ʃú:f''
|  ''bi-n-ʃú:f''
|  ''ḥa-ʃú:f''
|  ''ḥa-n-ʃú:f''
| colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  '''''ʃúf'''-t''
| rowspan=2|'''''ʃúf'''-tu''
|  ''ti-ʃú:f''
| rowspan=2|''ti-ʃú:f-u''
|  ''bi-t-ʃú:f''
| rowspan=2|''bi-t-ʃú:f-u''
|  ''ḥa-t-ʃú:f''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-t-ʃú:f-u''
|  ''ʃú:f''
| rowspan=2|''ʃú:f-u''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''ʃúf'''-ti''
|  ''ti-ʃú:f-i''
|  ''bi-t-ʃú:f-i''
|  ''ḥa-t-ʃú:f-i''
|  ''ʃú:f-i''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''ʃá:f''
| rowspan=2|''ʃá:f-u''
|  ''yi-ʃú:f''
| rowspan=2|''yi-ʃú:f-u''
|  ''bi-y-ʃú:f''
| rowspan=2|''bi-y-ʃú:f-u''
|  ''ḥa-y-ʃú:f''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-y-ʃú:f-u''
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  ''ʃá:f-it''
|  ''ti-ʃú:f''
|  ''bi-t-ʃú:f''
|  ''ḥa-t-ʃú:f''
|-
|}

This verb class is identical to verbs such as '''gá:b/yigí:b''' except in having stem vowel ''u'' in place of ''i''.

==== Doubled verbs ====

Doubled verbs have the same consonant as middle and last root consonant, e.g. '''ḥább/yiḥíbb''' "love" from Ḥ-B-B.

===== Doubled verb, form I, fáʕʕ/yifíʕʕ =====

Example: '''ḥább/yiḥíbb''' "love"

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/Mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Present Subjunctive
!  colspan=2|Present Indicative
!  colspan=2|Future
!  colspan=2|Imperative
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  '''''ḥabbé:'''-t''
|  '''''ḥabbé:'''-na''
|  ''a-ḥíbb''
|  ''ni-ḥíbb''
|  ''ba-ḥíbb''
|  ''bi-n-ḥíbb''
|  ''ḥa-ḥíbb''
|  ''ḥa-n-ḥíbb''
| colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  '''''ḥabbé:'''-t''
| rowspan=2|'''''ḥabbé:'''-tu''
|  ''ti-ḥíbb''
| rowspan=2|''ti-ḥíbb-u''
|  ''bi-t-ḥíbb''
| rowspan=2|''bi-t-ḥíbb-u''
|  ''ḥa-t-ḥíbb''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-t-ḥíbb-u''
|  ''ḥíbb''
| rowspan=2|''ḥíbb-u''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''ḥabbé:'''-ti''
|  ''ti-ḥíbb-i''
|  ''bi-t-ḥíbb-i''
|  ''ḥa-t-ḥíbb-i''
|  ''ḥíbb-i''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''ḥább''
| rowspan=2|''ḥább-u''
|  ''yi-ḥíbb''
| rowspan=2|''yi-ḥíbb-u''
|  ''bi-y-ḥíbb''
| rowspan=2|''bi-y-ḥíbb-u''
|  ''ḥa-y-ḥíbb''
| rowspan=2|''ḥa-y-ḥíbb-u''
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  ''ḥább-it''
|  ''ti-ḥíbb''
|  ''bi-t-ḥíbb''
|  ''ḥa-t-ḥíbb''
|-
|}

This verb works much like '''gá:b/yigí:b''' "bring".  Like that class, it has two stems in the past, which are '''ḥabbé:-''' before consonant-initial suffixes (first and second person) and '''ḥább-''' elsewhere (third person).  Note that ''é:-'' was borrowed from the defective verbs; the Classical Arabic equivalent form would be *'''ḥabáb-''', e.g. *'''ḥabáb-t'''.

Other verbs have ''u'' or ''a'' in the present stem: '''baṣṣ/yibúṣṣ''' "to look", '''ṣaḥḥ/yiṣáḥḥ''' "be right, be proper".

As for the other forms:
*Form II, V doubled verbs are strong: '''ḥáddid/yiḥáddid''' "limit, fix (appointment)"
*Form III, IV, VI, VIII doubled verbs seem non-existent
*Form VII and VIIt doubled verbs (same stem vowel ''a'' in both stems): '''inbáll/yinbáll''' "be wetted", '''itʕádd/yitʕádd'''
*Form VIII doubled verbs (same stem vowel ''a'' in both stems): '''ihtámm/yihtámm''' "be interested (in)"
*Form IX verbs (automatically behave as "doubled" verbs, same stem vowel ''a'' in both stems): '''iḥmárr/yiḥmárr''' "be red, blush", '''iḥláww/yiḥláww''' "be sweet"
*Form X verbs '''''(stem vowel either ''a'' or ''i'' in non-past)''''': '''istaḥáʔʔ/yistaḥáʔʔ''' "deserve" vs. '''istaʕádd/yistaʕídd''' "be ready", '''istamárr/yistamírr''' "continue".

==== Assimilated verbs ====

Assimilated verbs have W or Y as the first root consonant.  Most of these verbs have been regularized in Egyptian Arabic, e.g. '''wázan/yíwzin''' "to weigh" or '''wíṣíl/yíwṣal''' "to arrive".  Only a couple of irregular verbs remain, e.g. '''wíʔif/yúʔaf''' "stop" and '''wíʔiʕ/yúʔaʕ''' "fall" (see below).

==== Doubly weak verbs ====

"Doubly weak" verbs have more than one "weakness", typically a W or Y as both the second and third consonants.  This term is in fact a misnomer, as such verbs actually behave as normal defective verbs (e.g. '''káwa/yíkwi''' "iron (clothes)" from K-W-Y, '''ʔáwwa/yiʔáwwi''' "strengthen" from ʔ-W-Y, '''dá:wa/yidá:wi''' "treat, cure" from D-W-Y).

==== Irregular verbs ====

The irregular verbs are as follows:

*'''ídda/yíddi''' "give" (endings like a normal defective verb)
*'''wíʔif/yúʔaf''' "stop" and '''wíʔiʕ/yúʔaʕ''' "fall" (''áʔaf, báʔaf, ḥáʔaf'' "I (will) stop"; úʔaf "stop!")
*'''kal/yá:kul''' "eat" and '''xad/yá:xud''' "take" (''kalt, kal, kálit, kálu'' "I/he/she/they ate", also regular ''ákal, etc.'' "he/etc. ate"; ''á:kul, bá:kul, ḥá:kul'' "I (will) eat", ''yáklu'' "they eat"; ''kúl, kúli, kúlu'' "eat!"; ''wá:kil'' "eating"; ''mittá:kil'' "eaten")
*'''gé/yí:gi''' "come".  This verb is extremely irregular (with particularly unusual forms in boldface):

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/Mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Present Subjunctive
!  colspan=2|Imperative
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  '''''gé:'''-t'' or '''''gí:'''-t''
|  ''gé:-na'' or ''gí:-na''
|  '''''á:'''-gi''
|  ''ní:-gi''
| colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''gé:-t'' or ''gí:-t''
|  rowspan=2|''gé:-tu'' or ''gí:-tu''
|  '''''tí:'''-gi''
| rowspan=2|''tí:-g-u''
|  '''''taʕá:l'''''
| rowspan=2|'''''taʕá:l-u'''''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  ''gé:-ti'' or ''gí:-ti''
|  ''tí:-g-i''
|  '''''taʕá:l-i'''''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  '''''gé''''' or '''''gá''''' (also '''''ʔíga''''')<br />
   '''''gá:-ni''''' (or ''-li'')<br />
   "he came to me"<br />
   but '''not''' *''gé:-ni''
| rowspan=2|'''''gum'''''<br />
   but '''''gú:-ni''''' (or ''-li'')<br />
   "they came to me" and
   '''''magú:-ʃ''''' "they didn't come"
|  ''yí:-gi''
| rowspan=2|''yí:-g-u''
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=background:silver|
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  '''''gat''''' (also '''''ʔígat''''')
|  ''tí:-gi''
|-
|}

Example: '''gé/yí:gi''' "come": non-finite forms

{| class="wikitable"
!  Number/Gender
!  Active Participle
!  Verbal Noun
|-
!  Masc. Sg.
|  '''''gayy'''''
|  rowspan=3|'''''nigíyy'''''
|-
!  Fem. Sg.
|  '''''gáyy'''-a''
|-
!  Pl.
|  '''''gayy'''-í:n''
|-
|}

==== Table of verb forms ====

In this section all verb classes and their corresponding stems are listed, excluding the small number of irregular verbs described above.  Verb roots are indicated schematically using capital letters to stand for consonants in the root:
*F = first consonant of root
*M = middle consonant of three-consonant root
*S = second consonant of four-consonant root
*T = third consonant of four-consonant root
*L = last consonant of root
Hence, the root F-M-L stands for all three-consonant roots, and F-S-T-L stands for all four-consonant roots. (Traditional Arabic grammar uses F-ʕ-L and F-ʕ-L-L, respectively, but the system used here appears in a number of grammars of spoken Arabic dialects and is probably less confusing for English speakers, since the forms are easier to pronounce than those involving ''ʕ''.)

The following table lists the prefixes and suffixes to be added to mark tense, person, number and gender, and the stem form to which they are added.  The forms involving a vowel-initial suffix, and corresponding stem <small>PA<sub>v</sub></small> or <small>NP<sub>v</sub></small>, are highlighted in silver.  The forms involving a consonant-initial suffix, and corresponding stem <small>PA<sub>c</sub></small>, are highlighted in gold.  The forms involving a no suffix, and corresponding stem <small>PA<sub>0</sub></small> or <small>NP<sub>0</sub></small>, are unhighlighted.

{| class="wikitable"
!  colspan=2|Tense/Mood
!  colspan=2|Past
!  colspan=2|Non-Past
|-
!  colspan=2|Person
!  Singular
!  Plural
!  Singular
!  Plural
|-
!  colspan=2|1st
|  style=background:gold|''<small>PA<sub>c</sub></small>-'''t'''''
|  style=background:gold|''<small>PA<sub>c</sub></small>-'''na'''''
|  '''''a'''-<small>NP<sub>0</sub></small>''
|  '''''ni'''-<small>NP<sub>0</sub></small>''
|-
! rowspan=2| 2nd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  style=background:gold|''<small>PA<sub>c</sub></small>-'''t'''''
|  style=background:gold rowspan=2|''<small>PA<sub>c</sub></small>-'''tu'''''
|  '''''ti'''-<small>NP<sub>0</sub></small>''
|  style=background:silver rowspan=2|'''''ti'''-<small>NP<sub>v</sub></small>-'''u'''''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  style=background:gold|''<small>PA<sub>c</sub></small>-'''ti'''''
|  style=background:silver|'''''ti'''-<small>NP<sub>v</sub></small>-'''i'''''
|-
!  rowspan=2|3rd
!<small>masculine</small>
|  ''<small>PA<sub>0</sub></small>''
|  style=background:silver rowspan=2|''<small>PA<sub>v</sub></small>-'''u'''''
|  '''''yi'''-<small>NP<sub>0</sub></small>''
|  style=background:silver rowspan=2|'''''yi'''-<small>NP<sub>v</sub></small>-'''u'''''
|-
!<small>feminine</small>
|  style=background:silver|''<small>PA<sub>v</sub></small>-'''it'''''
|  '''''ti'''-<small>NP<sub>0</sub></small>''
|-
|}

The following table lists the verb classes along with the form of the past and non-past stems, active and passive participles, and verbal noun, in addition to an example verb for each class.

Notes:
*Italicized forms are those that follow automatically from the regular rules of vowel shortening and deletion.
*Multisyllabic forms without a stress mark have variable stress, depending on the nature of the suffix added, following the regular rules of stress assignment.
*Many participles and verbal nouns have acquired an extended sense.  In fact, participles and verbal nouns are the major sources for lexical items based on verbs, especially derived (i.e. non-Form-I) verbs.
*Some verb classes do not have a regular verbal noun form; rather, the verbal noun varies from verb to verb.  Even in verb classes that do have a regular verbal noun form, there are exceptions.  In addition, some verbs share a verbal noun with a related verb from another class (in particular, many passive verbs use the corresponding active verb's verbal noun, which can be interpreted in either an active or passive sense).  Some verbs appear to lack a verbal noun entirely. (In such a case, a paraphrase would be used involving a clause beginning with ''inn''.)
*Outside of Form I, passive participles as such are usually non-existent; instead, the active participle of the corresponding passive verb class (e.g. Forms V, VI, VIIt/VIIn for Forms II, III, I respectively) is used.  The exception is certain verbs in Forms VIII and X that contain a "classicized" passive participle that is formed in imitation of the corresponding participle in [[Classical Arabic]], e.g. ''mistáʕmil'' "using", ''mustáʕmal'' "used".
*Not all forms have a separate verb class for hollow or doubled roots.  When no such class is listed below, roots of that shape appear as strong verbs in the corresponding form, e.g. Form II strong verb ''ḍáyyaʕ/yiḍáyyaʕ'' "waste, lose" related to Form I hollow verb ''ḍá:ʕ/yiḍí:ʕ'' "be lost", both from root Ḍ-Y-ʕ.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!  rowspan=5|Form
!  rowspan=5|Root Type
!  colspan=6|Stem
!  colspan=2|Participle
!  rowspan=5|Verbal Noun
!  rowspan=5|Example
|-
!  style=background:silver|
!  colspan=3|Past
!  colspan=2 rowspan=2|Non-Past
!  rowspan=4|Active
!  rowspan=4|Passive
|-
! <small>Person of Suffix</small>
!  1st/2nd
!  colspan=2|3rd
|-
! <small>Suffix Type</small>
!  <small>Cons-Initial</small>
!  <small>None</small>
!  <small>Vowel-Initial</small>
!  <small>None</small>
!  <small>Vowel-Initial</small>
|-
! <small>Suffix Name</small>
!  style=background:gold|<small>PA<sub>c</sub></small>
!  <small>PA<sub>0</sub></small>
!  style=background:silver|<small>PA<sub>v</sub></small>
!  <small>NP<sub>0</sub></small>
!  style=background:silver|<small>NP<sub>v</sub></small>
|-
!  rowspan=6|I
!  rowspan=6|Strong
|  rowspan=6 style=background:silver|
|  rowspan=3 colspan=3|FaMaL
|  colspan=2|FMaL
|  rowspan=6|Fá:MiL
|  rowspan=6|maFMú:L
|  rowspan=6|(varies, e.g.<br /> FaML, FiML)
|  '''fátaḥ/yíftaḥ''' "open"
|-
|  colspan=2|FMiL
|  '''kátab/yíktib''' "write"
|-
|  colspan=2|FMuL
|  '''dáxal/yúdxul''' "enter"
|-
|  rowspan=3 colspan=2|FiMiL
|  rowspan=3|''FiML''
|  colspan=2|FMaL
|  '''fíhim/yífham''' "understand"
|-
|  colspan=2|FMiL
|  '''mísik/yímsik''' "hold, catch"
|-
|  colspan=2|FMuL
|  '''síkin/yúskun''' "reside"
|-
!  rowspan=4|I
!  rowspan=4|Defective
|  rowspan=4 style=background:silver|
|  rowspan=2|FaMé:
|  rowspan=2|FáMa
|  rowspan=2|FaM
|  FMa
|  FM
|  rowspan=4|Fá:Mi
|  rowspan=4|máFMi
|  rowspan=4|(varies, e.g.<br /> FaMy, máFMa)
|  '''báʔa/yíbʔa''' "remain"
|-
|  FMi
|  FM
|  '''ráma/yírmi''' "throw"
|-
|  rowspan=2|FiMí:
|  rowspan=2|FíMi
|  rowspan=2|FíMy
|  FMa
|  FM
|  '''nísi/yínsa''' "forget"
|-
|  FMi
|  FM
|  '''míʃi/yímʃi''' "walk"
|-
!  rowspan=4|I
!  rowspan=4|Hollow
|  rowspan=4 style=background:silver|
|  FíL
|  rowspan=4 colspan=2|Fá:L
|  colspan=2|Fí:L
|  rowspan=4|Fá:yiL
|  rowspan=4|(mitFá:L, properly<br />Form VIIt)
|  rowspan=4|(varies, e.g.<br /> Fe:L, Fo:L)
|  '''ga:b/yigí:b''' "bring"
|-
| FúL
|  colspan=2|Fú:L
|  '''ʃa:f/yiʃú:f''' "see"
|-
| FíL
|  rowspan=2 colspan=2|Fá:L
|  '''na:m/yiná:m''' "sleep"
|-
| FúL
|  '''xa:f/yixá:f''' "fear"
|-
!  rowspan=2|I
!  rowspan=2|Doubled
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  rowspan=2|FaMMé:
|  rowspan=2 colspan=2|FáMM
|  colspan=2|FíMM
|  rowspan=2|Fá:MiM
|  rowspan=2|maFMú:M
|  rowspan=2|(varies, e.g.<br /> FaMM, FuMM)
|  '''ḥabb/yiḥíbb''' "love"
|-
| colspan=2|FúMM
|  '''ḥaṭṭ/yiḥúṭṭ''' "put"
|-
!  rowspan=2|II
!  rowspan=2|Strong
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  colspan=5|FaMMaL
|  miFáMMaL
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  rowspan=2|taFMí:L
|  '''ɣáyyaṛ/yiɣáyyaṛ''' "change"
|-
|  colspan=5|FaMMiL
|  miFáMMiL
|  '''dárris/yidárris''' "teach"
|-
!  II
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  FaMMé:
|  FáMMa
|  FáMM
|  FáMMi
|  FáMM
|  miFáMMi
|  style=background:silver|
|  taFMíya
|  '''wárra/yiwárri''' "show"
|-
!  III
!  Strong
|  style=background:silver|
|  ''FaMíL''
|  Fá:MiL
|  ''FáML''
|  Fá:MiL
|  ''FáML''
|  miFá:MiL
|  style=background:silver|
|  miFáMLa
|  '''zá:kir/yizá:kir''' "study"
|-
!  III
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  FaMé:
|  Fá:Ma
|  Fá:M
|  Fá:Mi
|  Fá:M
|  miFá:Mi
|  style=background:silver|
|  miFáMya
|  '''ná:da/yiná:di''' "call"
|-
!  IV
!  Strong
|  style=background:silver|
|  colspan=3|ʔáFMaL
|  colspan=2|FMiL
|  míFMiL
|  style=background:silver|
|  iFMá:L
|  '''ʔáḍṛab/yíḍrib''' "go on strike"
|-
!  IV
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  ʔaFMé:
|  ʔáFMa
|  ʔáFM
|  FMi
|  FM
|  míFMi
|  style=background:silver|
|  (uncommon)
|  '''ʔáṛḍa/yíṛḍi''' "please"
|-
!  IV
!  Hollow
|  style=background:silver|
|  ʔaFáL
|  colspan=2|ʔaFá:L
|  colspan=2|Fí:L
|  miFí:L
|  style=background:silver|
|  ʔiFá:La
|  '''ʔafá:d/yifí:d''' "inform"
|-
!  IV
!  Doubled
|  style=background:silver|
|  ʔaFaMMé:
|  colspan=2|ʔaFáMM
|  colspan=2|FíMM
|  miFíMM
|  style=background:silver|
|  iFMá:M
|  ???
|-
!  rowspan=2|V
!  rowspan=2|Strong
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  colspan=3|itFaMMaL
|  colspan=2|tFaMMaL
|  mitFáMMaL
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  rowspan=2|taFáMMuL (or Form II)
|  '''itmáṛṛan/yitmáṛṛan''' "practice"
|-
|  colspan=3|itFaMMiL
|  colspan=2|tFaMMiL
|  mitFáMMiL
|  '''itkállim/yitkállim''' "speak"
|-
!  V
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  itFaMMé:
|  itFáMMa
|  itFáMM
|  tFáMMa
|  tFáMM
|  mitFáMMi
|  style=background:silver|
|  (use Form II)
|  '''itʔáwwa/yitʔáwwa''' "become strong"
|-
!  VI
!  Strong
|  style=background:silver|
|  ''itFaMíL''
|  itFá:MiL
|  ''itFáML''
|  tFá:MiL
|  ''tFáML''
|  mitFá:MiL
|  style=background:silver|
|  taFá:MuL (or Form III)
|  '''itʕá:win/yitʕá:win''' "cooperate"
|-
!  VI
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  itFaMé:
|  itFá:Ma
|  itFá:M
|  tFá:Ma
|  tFá:M
|  mitFá:Mi
|  style=background:silver|
|  (use Form III)
|  '''iddá:wa/yiddá:wa''' "be treated, be cured"
|-
!  VIIn
!  Strong
|  style=background:silver|
|  colspan=3|inFáMaL
|  nFíMiL
|  ''nFíML''
|  minFíMiL
|  style=background:silver|
|  inFiMá:L  (or Form I)
|  '''inbáṣaṭ/yinbíṣiṭ''' "enjoy oneself"
|-
!  VIIn
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  inFaMé:
|  inFáMa
|  inFáM
|  nFíMi
|  nFíM
|  minFíMi
|  style=background:silver|
|  (use Form I)
|  '''inḥáka/yinḥíki''' "be told"
|-
!  VIIn
!  Hollow
|  style=background:silver|
|  inFáL
|  colspan=2|inFá:L
|  colspan=2|nFá:L
|  minFá:L
|  style=background:silver|
|  inFiyá:L  (or Form I)
|  '''inbá:ʕ/yinbá:ʕ''' "be sold"
|-
!  VIIn
!  Doubled
|  style=background:silver|
|  inFaMMé:
|  colspan=2|inFáMM
|  colspan=2|nFáMM
|  minFáMM
|  style=background:silver|
|  inFiMá:M  (or Form I)
|  '''inbáll/yinbáll''' "be wetted"
|-
!  VIIt
!  Strong
|  style=background:silver|
|  colspan=3|itFáMaL
|  tFíMiL
|  ''tFíML''
|  mitFíMiL
|  style=background:silver|
|  itFiMá:L  (or Form I)
|  '''itwágad/yitwígid''' "be found"
|-
!  VIIt
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  itFaMé:
|  itFáMa
|  itFáM
|  tFíMi
|  tFíM
|  mitFíMi
|  style=background:silver|
|  (use Form I)
|  '''itnása/yitnísi''' "be forgotten"
|-
!  VIIt
!  Hollow
|  style=background:silver|
|  itFáL
|  colspan=2|itFá:L
|  colspan=2|tFá:L
|  mitFá:L
|  style=background:silver|
|  itFiyá:L  (or Form I)
|  '''itbá:ʕ/yitbá:ʕ''' "be sold"
|-
!  VIIt
!  Doubled
|  style=background:silver|
|  itFaMMé:
|  colspan=2|itFáMM
|  colspan=2|tFáMM
|  mitFáMM
|  style=background:silver|
|  itFiMá:M  (or Form I)
|  '''itʕádd/yitʕádd''' "be counted"
|-
!  VIII
!  Strong
|  style=background:silver|
|  colspan=3|iFtáMaL
|  FtíMiL
|  ''FtíML''
|  miFtíMiL, muFtáMiL (classicized)
|  muFtáMaL (classicized)
|  iFtiMá:L  (or Form I)
|  '''istálam/yistílim''' "receive"
|-
!  VIII
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  iFtaMé:
|  iFtáMa
|  iFtáM
|  FtíMi
|  FtíM
|  miFtíMi, muFtáMi (classicized)
|  style=background:silver|
|  (use Form I)
|  '''iʃtára/yiʃtíri''' "buy"
|-
!  VIII
!  Hollow
|  style=background:silver|
|  iFtáL
|  colspan=2|iFtá:L
|  colspan=2|Ftá:L
|  miFtá:L, muFtá:L (classicized)
|  style=background:silver|
|  iFtiyá:L  (or Form I)
|  '''ixtá:ṛ/yixtá:ṛ''' "choose"
|-
!  VIII
!  Doubled
|  style=background:silver|
|  iFtaMMé:
|  colspan=2|iFtáMM
|  colspan=2|FtáMM
|  miFtáMM, muFtáMM (classicized)
|  style=background:silver|
|  iFtiMá:M  (or Form I)
|  '''ihtámm/yihtámm''' "be interested (in)"
|-
!  IX
!  Strong
|  style=background:silver|
|  iFMaLLé:
|  colspan=2|iFMáLL
|  colspan=2|FMáLL
|  miFMíLL
|  style=background:silver|
|  iFMiLá:L
|  '''iḥmáṛṛ/yiḥmáṛṛ''' "be red, blush"
|-
!  rowspan=2|X
!  rowspan=2|Strong
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  colspan=3|istáFMaL
|  colspan=2|stáFMaL
|  mistáFMaL, mustáFMaL (classicized)
|  style=background:silver|
|  rowspan=2|istiFMá:L
|  '''istáɣṛab/yistáɣṛab''' "be surprised"
|-
|  colspan=3|istáFMiL
|  colspan=2|stáFMiL
|  mistáFMiL, mustáFMiL (classicized)
|  mustáFMaL (classicized)
|  '''istáʕmil/yistáʕmil''' "use"
|-
!  X
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  istaFMé:
|  istáFMa
|  istáFM
|  stáFMa
|  stáFM
|  mistáFMi, mustáFMi (classicized)
|  style=background:silver|
|  (uncommon)
|  '''istákfa/yistákfa''' "be enough"
|-
!  X
!  Hollow
|  style=background:silver|
|  istaFáL
|  colspan=2|istaFá:L
|  colspan=2|staFí:L
|  mistaFí:L, mistaFí:L (classicized)
|  style=background:silver|
|  istiFá:L a
|  '''istaʔá:l/yistaʔí:l''' "resign"
|-
!  rowspan=2|X
!  rowspan=2|Doubled
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  rowspan=2|istaFaMMé:
|  rowspan=2 colspan=2|istaFáMM
|  colspan=2|staFáMM
|  mistaFáMM, mustaFáMM (classicized)
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  rowspan=2|istiFMá:M
|  '''istaḥáʔʔ/yistaḥáʔʔ''' "deserve"
|-
|  colspan=2|staFíMM
|  mistaFíMM, mustaFíMM (classicized)
|  '''istamáṛṛ/yistamírr''' "continue"
|-
!  rowspan=2|Iq
!  rowspan=2|Strong
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  colspan=5|FaSTaL
|  miFáSTaL
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  rowspan=2| FaSTáLa
|  '''láxbaṭ/yiláxbaṭ''' "confuse"
|-
|  colspan=5|FaSTiL
|  miFáSTiL
|  '''xárbiʃ/yixárbiʃ''' "scratch"
|-
!  Iq
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  FaSTé:
|  FáSTa
|  FáST
|  FáSTi
|  FáST
|  miFáSTi
|  style=background:silver|
|  (uncommon)
|  ???
|-
!  rowspan=2|IIq
!  rowspan=2|Strong
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  colspan=3|itFaSTaL
|  colspan=2|tFaSTaL
|  mitFáSTaL
|  rowspan=2 style=background:silver|
|  rowspan=2|itFaSTáLa
|  '''itláxbaṭ/yitláxbaṭ''' "be confused"
|-
|  colspan=3|itFaSTiL
|  colspan=2|tFaSTiL
|  mitFáSTiL
|  '''itʃáʕlil/yitʃáʕlil''' "flare up"
|-
!  IIq
!  Defective
|  style=background:silver|
|  itFaSTé:
|  itFáSTa
|  itFáST
|  tFáSTa
|  tFáST
|  mitFáSTi
|  style=background:silver|
|  (uncommon)
|  ???
|-
|}

=== Negation ===
{{Main|Negation in Arabic}}
One characteristic of Egyptian syntax which it shares with other North African varieties as well as some southern Levantine dialect areas is in the two-part negative verbal circumfix {{IPA|/ma-...-ʃ(i)/}}

* Past: {{IPA|/ˈkatab/}} "he wrote" {{IPA|/ma-katab-ʃ(i)/}} "he didn't write" ما كتبشِ
* Present: {{IPA|/ˈjik-tib/}} "he writes" {{IPA|/ma-bjik-tib-ʃ(i)/}} "he doesn't write" ما بيكتبشِ

{{IPA|/ma-/}} comes from the Classical Arabic negator {{IPA|/maː/}}.  {{IPA|/-ʃ(i)/}} is a development of Classical {{IPA|/ʃajʔ/}} "thing".  This negating [[circumfix]] is similar in function to the [[French language|French]] circumfix ''ne ... pas''.

The structure can end in a consonant {{IPA|/ʃ/}} or in a vowel {{IPA|/i/}}, varying according to the individual or region. The fuller ending {{IPA|/ʃi/}} is considered rural, and nowadays [[Cairo|Cairene]] speakers usually use the shorter {{IPA|/ʃ/}}. However, {{IPA|/ʃi/}} was more common in the past, as attested in [[Egyptian films of the 1940s|old films]].

The negative circumfix often surrounds the entire verbal composite including direct and indirect object pronouns:
* {{IPA|/ma-katab-hum-ˈliː-ʃ/}}  "he didn't write them to me"
However, verbs in the future tense typically instead use the prefix /miʃ/:
* {{IPA|/miʃ-ħa-ˈjiktib/}} (or {{IPA|/ma-ħa-jikˈtibʃ/}}  "he won't write"
Interrogative sentences can be formed by adding the negation [[clitic]] "(miʃ)" before the verb:
* Past: {{IPA|/ˈkatab/}} "he wrote"; {{IPA|/miʃ-ˈkatab/}} "didn't he write?"
* Present: {{IPA|/ˈjiktib/}} "he writes"; {{IPA|/miʃ-bi-ˈjiktib/}} "doesn't he write?"
* Future: {{IPA|/ħa-ˈjiktib/}} "he will write"; {{IPA|/miʃ-ħa-ˈjiktib/}} "won't he write?"
Addition of the circumfix can cause complex changes to the verbal cluster, due to the application of the rules of vowel syncope, shortening, lengthening, insertion and elision described above:
* The addition of /ma-/ may trigger elision or syncope:
**A vowel following /ma-/ is elided: (ixtáːr) "he chose" → ({{IPA|maxtárʃ}}).
**A short vowel /i/ or /u/ in the first syllable may be deleted by syncope: (kíbir) "he grew" → (makbírʃ).
* The addition of {{IPA|/-ʃ/}} may result in vowel shortening or epenthesis:
** A final long vowel preceding a single consonant shortens: (ixtáːr) "he chose" → (maxtárʃ).
** An unstressed epenthetic /i/ is inserted when the verbal complex ends in two consonants: /kunt/ "I was" → (makúntiʃ).
* In addition, the addition of {{IPA|/-ʃ/}} triggers a stress shift, which may in turn result in vowel shortening or lengthening:
** The stress shifts to the syllable preceding {{IPA|/ʃ/}}: (kátab) "he wrote" → (makatábʃ).
** A long vowel in the previously stressed syllable shortens: (ʃáːfit) "she saw" → (maʃafítʃ); (ʃá:fu) "they saw" ''or'' "he saw it" → (maʃafú:ʃ).
** A final short vowel directly preceding {{IPA|/ʃ/}} lengthens: (ʃáːfu) "they saw" ''or'' "he saw it" → (maʃafú:ʃ).

In addition, certain other morphological changes occur:
* (ʃafúː) "they saw him" → (maʃafuhúːʃ) (to avoid a clash with (maʃafúːʃ) "they didn't see/he didn't see him").
* (ʃáːfik) "He saw you (fem. sg.)" → (maʃafkíːʃ).
* (ʃúftik) "I saw you (fem. sg.)" → (maʃuftikíːʃ).

== Syntax ==
In contrast with Classical Arabic, but much like the other [[varieties of Arabic]], Egyptian Arabic prefers [[subject–verb–object]] (SVO) [[word order]]; CA and to a lesser extent MSA prefer [[verb–subject–object]] (VSO). For example, in MSA "Adel read the book" would be {{lang|ar|قرأَ عادل الكتاب}} ''{{transl|ar|DIN|Qaraʾa ʿĀdilu l-kitāb}}'' <!--MSA as pronounced by Egyptians:-->{{IPA-ar|ˈqɑɾɑʔɑ ˈʕæːdel ol keˈtæːb|IPA}} whereas EA would say {{lang|arz|عادل قرا الكتاب}} ''{{transl|arz|ʕādil ʔara l-kitāb}}'' {{IPA-arz|ˈʕæːdel ˈʔɑɾɑ lkeˈtæːb|IPA}}.

Also in common with other Arabic varieties is the loss of unique [[agreement (linguistics)|agreement]] in the dual form: while the dual remains productive to some degree in nouns, dual nouns are analyzed as plural for the purpose of agreement with verbs, demonstratives, and adjectives. Thus "These two Syrian professors are walking to the university" in MSA (in an SVO sentence for ease of comparison) would be "{{lang|ar|هذان الأستاذان السوريان يمشيان إلى الجامعة}}" ''{{transl|ar|DIN|Haḏān al-ʾustāḏān as-Sūriyyān yamšiyān ʾilā l-ǧāmiʿah}}'' <!--MSA as pronounced by Egyptians:-->{{IPA-ar|hæːˈzæːn æl ʔostæːˈzæːn as suːrejˈjæːn jæmʃeˈjæːn ˈʔelæ lɡæːˈmeʕæ|IPA}}, which becomes in EA "{{lang|arz|الأستاذين السوريين دول بيمشو للجامعة}}" ''{{transl|arz|il-ʔustazēn il-Suriyyīn dōl biyimʃu lil-gamʕa}},'' {{IPA-arz|el ʔostæˈzeːn el soɾejˈjiːn ˈdoːl beˈjemʃo lelˈɡæmʕæ|IPA}}.

Unlike most other forms of Arabic, however, Egyptian prefers final placement of [[question word]]s in interrogative sentences. This is a feature characteristic of the [[#Coptic substratum|Coptic substratum of Egyptian Arabic]].

== Coptic substratum ==
Egyptian Arabic appears to have retained a significant [[Coptic language|Coptic]] [[stratum (linguistics)|substratum]] in its [[lexicon]], [[phonology]], and [[syntax]]. Coptic is the latest stage of the indigenous [[Egyptian language]] spoken until the mid-17th century when it was finally completely supplanted among Egyptian Muslims and a majority of Copts by the Egyptian Arabic. Some features that Egyptian Arabic shares with the original ancient Egyptian language include certain prefix and suffix verbal conjugations, certain emphatic and glottalized consonants, as well as a large number of biliteral and triliteral lexical correspondences.

Two syntactic features that are particular{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}{{dubious|date=April 2015}} to Egyptian Arabic inherited from Coptic<ref>Nishio, 1996</ref> are:
* postposed demonstratives "this" and "that" are placed ''after'' the noun.
:Examples: {{IPA|/ir-rˤaːɡil da/}} "this man" (lit. "the man this"; in Literary Arabic {{IPA|/haːðaː r-raɡul/}}) and {{IPA|/il-bitt di/}} "this girl" (lit. "the girl this"; in Literary Arabic {{IPA|/haːðihi l-bint/}}).

* [[interrogative word|''Wh'' words]] (i.e. "who", "when", "why" [[wh-in-situ|remain]] in their "logical" positions in a sentence rather than being preposed, or moved to the front of the sentence, as in Literary Arabic or English).
:Examples:
** {{IPA|/rˤaːħ masˤrI ʔimta/}} ({{lang|arz|راح مصر إمتا؟}}) "When ({{IPA|/ʔimta/}}) did he go to Egypt?" (lit. "He went to Egypt when?")
** {{IPA|/rˤaːħ masˤrI leːh/}} ({{lang|arz|راح مصر ليه؟}}) "Why ({{IPA|/leːh/}}) did he go to Egypt? (lit. "He went to Egypt?")
** {{IPA|/miːn rˤaːħ masˤr/}} or {{IPA|/miːn illi rˤaːħ masˤr/}} ({{lang|arz|مين [اللى] راح مصر؟}}) "Who ({{IPA|/miːn/}}) went to Egypt/Cairo? (literally – same order)
:The same sentences in [[Modern Standard Arabic|Literary Arabic]] (with all the question words (''wh''-words) in the beginning of the sentence) would be:
** {{lang|ar|متى ذهب إلى مصر؟}} &nbsp;{{IPA|/mataː ðahaba ʔilaː misˤr/}}
** {{lang|ar|لِمَ ذهب إلى مصر؟}} &nbsp;{{IPA|/lima ðahaba ʔilaː misˤr/}}
** {{lang|ar|من ذهب إلى مصر؟}} &nbsp;{{IPA|/man ðahaba ʔilaː misˤr/}}

Also since Coptic, like other North African languages, lacked [[interdental consonant]]s it could possibly have influenced the manifestation of their occurrences in [[Classical Arabic]] {{IPAslink|θ}} {{IPAslink|ð}} {{IPAslink|ðˤ}} as their dental counterparts {{IPAslink|t}} {{IPAslink|d}} and the emphatic dental {{IPAslink|dˤ}} respectively. (see [[Egyptian Arabic phonology#Consonants|consonants]])

== Sociolinguistic features ==
Egyptian Arabic is used in most social situations, with Modern Standard and Classical Arabic generally being used only in writing and in highly-religious and/or formal situations. However, within Egyptian Arabic, there is a wide range of variation. [[El-Said Badawi]] identifies three distinct levels of Egyptian Arabic based chiefly on the quantity of non-Arabic lexical items in the vocabulary: ''ʿĀmmiyyat al-Musaqqafīn'' (Cultured Colloquial or [[Formal Spoken Arabic]]), ''ʿĀmmiyyat al-Mutanawwirīn'' (Enlightened or Literate Colloquial), and ''ʿĀmmiyyat al-'Ummiyīn'' (Illiterate Colloquial).<ref name="Badawi Hinds Dictionary">{{cite book|last1=Badawi|first1=El-Said|last2=Hinds|first2=Martin|authorlink1=El-Said Badawi|authorlink2=Martin Hinds|title=A Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic|date=1986|publisher=Libraire du Liban|isbn=978-1-85341-003-1|pages=VII–X}}</ref> Cultured Colloquial/Formal Spoken Arabic is characteristic of the educated classes and is the language of discussion of high-level subjects, but it is still Egyptian Arabic; it is characterized by use of technical terms imported from foreign languages and MSA and closer attention to the pronunciation of certain letters (particularly ''[[ق|qāf]]''). It is relatively standardized and, being closer to the standard, it is understood fairly well across the Arab world.<ref name="Badawi Hinds Dictionary" /> On the opposite end of the spectrum, Illiterate Colloquial, common to rural areas and to working-class neighborhoods in the cities, has an almost-exclusively Arabic vocabulary; the few loanwords generally are very old borrowings (e.g. {{lang|arz|جمبرى}} ''{{transl|arz|gambari}}'', {{IPA|[ɡæmˈbæɾi]}} "[[shrimp]]", from [[Italian language|Italian]] ''gamberi'', "shrimp" (pl.)) or refer to technological items that find no or poor equivalents in Arabic (e.g. {{lang|arz|تلفزيون}} ''{{transl|arz|tel(e)vezyōn/tel(e)fezyōn}}'' {{IPA|[tel(e)vezˈjoːn, tel(e)fezˈjoːn]}}, [[television]]).<ref name="Badawi Hinds Dictionary" /> Enlightened Colloquial (''ʿĀmmiyyat al-Mutanawwirīn'') is the language of those who have had some schooling and are relatively affluent; loanwords tend to refer to items of popular culture, consumer products, and fashions. It is also understood widely in the Arab world, as it is the ''[[lingua franca]]'' of [[Egyptian cinema]] and television.<ref name="Badawi Hinds Dictionary" />

In contrast to MSA and most other varieties of Arabic, Egyptian Arabic has a form of the [[T-V distinction]]. In the singular, {{lang|arz|انت}} ''enta''/''enti'' is acceptable in most situations, but to address clear social superiors (e.g. older persons, superiors at work, certain government officials), the form {{lang|arz|حضرتك}} ''{{transl|arz|ḥaḍretak/ḥaḍretek}}'', meaning "Your [[Grace (style)|Grace]]" is preferred (compare [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''[[Spanish pronouns#The use of vusted and vuestra merced|usted]]'').

This use of ''{{transl|arz|ḥaḍretak/ḥaḍretek}}'' is linked to the system of [[honorifics]] in daily Egyptian speech. The honorific taken by a given person is determined by their relationship to the speaker and their occupation.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:80%;"
|+ Examples of Egyptian honorifics
|-
! scope="col" | Honorific
! scope="col" | [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
! scope="col" | Origin/meaning
! scope="col" | Usage and notes
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|seyattak}}'''''
|{{IPA|[seˈjættæk]}}
|Standard Arabic ''{{transl|ar|siyādatuka}}'', "Your Lordship"
| Persons with a far higher social standing than the speaker, particularly at work. Also applied to high government officials, including the [[President of Egypt|President]]. Equivalent in practical terms to "Your [[Excellency]]" or "The [[Most Honourable]]".
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|saʿattak}}'''''
|{{IPA|[sæˈʕættæk]}}
|Standard Arabic ''{{transl|ar|saʿādatuka}}'', "Your Happiness"
|Government officials and others with significantly higher social standing. Equivalent in governmental contexts "Your [[Excellency]]", or "Your Honor" when addressing a judge.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|maʿalīk}}'''''
|{{IPA|[mæʕæˈliːk]}}
|Standard Arabic ''{{transl|ar|maʿālīka}}'', "Your Highness"
|[[Cabinet of Egypt|Government ministers]]. Equivalent in practical terms to "Your [[Excellency]]" or "The [[Right Honourable]]".
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|ḥagg}}'''''/'''''{{transl|arz|ḥagga}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ˈħæɡ(ɡ)]}}/{{IPA|[ˈħæɡɡæ]}}
|Standard Arabic [[hajji|{{transl|ar|DIN|ḥāǧ}}]]
|Traditionally, any Muslim who has made the ''[[Hajj]]'', or any Christian who has made [[pilgrimage]] to [[Jerusalem]]. Currently also used as a general term of respect for all elderly.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|bāsha}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ˈbæːʃæ]}}
|[[Ottoman Turkish language|Ottoman Turkish]] ''[[pasha]]''
|Informal address to a male of equal or lesser social status. Roughly equivalent to "man" or "dude" in informal English speech.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|bēh}}'''''
|{{IPA|[beː]}}
|Ottoman Turkish ''[[bey]]''
|Informal address to a male of equal or lesser social status. Essentially equivalent to but less current than ''{{transl|arz|bāsha}}''.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|afandi}}'''''
|{{IPA|[æˈfændi]}}
|Ottoman Turkish ''[[effendi|efendi]]''
|(Archaic); address to a male of a less social standard than ''{{transl|arz|bēh}}'' and ''{{transl|arz|bāsha}}''.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|hānem}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ˈhæːnem]}}
|Ottoman Turkish ''[[khan (title)#Compound and derived princely titles|hanım]]/khanum'', "Lady"
|Address to a woman of high social standing, or esteemed as such by the speaker. Somewhat archaic.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|sett}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ˈset(t)]}}
|Standard Arabic ''sayyida(t)'' "mistress"
|The usual word for "woman". When used as a term of address, it conveys a modicum of respect.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|madām}}'''''
|{{IPA|[mæˈdæːm]}}
|[[French language|French]] ''madame''
|Respectful term of address for an older or married woman.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|ānesa}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ʔæˈnesæ]}}<!--yes, short initial [æ] because it's unstressed-->
|Standard Arabic ''{{transl|ar|ānisah}}'', "young lady"
|Semi-formal address to an unmarried young woman.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|ostāz}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ʔosˈtæːz]}}
|Standard Arabic ''{{transl|ar|ustādh}}'', "professor", "gentleman"
|Besides actual university [[professor]]s and [[schoolteacher]]s, used for experts in certain fields. May also be used as a generic informal reference, as ''{{transl|arz|bēh}}'' or ''{{transl|arz|bāsha}}''.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|osṭa}}'''''/'''''{{transl|arz|asṭa}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ˈostˤɑ]}}/{{IPA|[ˈɑstˤɑ]}}
| Turkish ''{{transl|tr|usta}}'', "master"
|[[Driving|Drivers]] and also skilled laborers.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|rayyes}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ˈɾɑjjes]}}
|Standard Arabic ''{{transl|ar|raʿīs}}'', "chief"
|Skilled laborers. The term predates the use of the same word to mean "president", and traditionally referred to the chief of a village.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|bash-mohandes}}'''''
|{{IPA|[bæʃmoˈhændes]}}
|Ottoman Turkish ''baş mühendis'', "chief [[engineer]]"
|Certain types of highly skilled laborers (e.g. [[electrician]]s).
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|meʿallem}}'''''
|{{IPA|[meˈʕællem]}}
|Standard Arabic ''{{transl|ar|muʿallim}}'', "teacher"
|Most [[working class]] men, particularly [[semi-skilled labor|semi-skilled]] and [[unskilled labor]]ers.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|ʿamm}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ˈʕæm(m)]}}
|Standard Arabic ''{{transl|ar|ʿamm}}'', "paternal uncle"
|Older male servants or social subordinates with whom the speaker has a close relationship. It can also be used as a familiar term of address, much like ''basha''. The use of the word in its original meaning is also current, for third-person reference. The second-person term of address to a paternal uncle is ''{{transl|arz|ʿammo}}'' {{IPA|[ˈʕæmmo]}}; ''{{transl|arz|onkel}}'' {{IPA|[ˈʔonkel]}}, from French ''[[wikt:oncle|oncle]]'', may also be used, particularly for uncles unrelated by blood.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|dāda}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ˈdæːdæ]}}
|?
|Older female servants or social subordinates with whom the speaker has a close relationship.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|abē}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ʔæˈbeː]}}
|Ottoman Turkish ''abi/ağabey'', "elder brother"
|Male relatives older than the speaker by about 10–15 years. Upper-class, and somewhat archaic.
|-
|'''''{{transl|arz|abla}}'''''
|{{IPA|[ˈʔɑblɑ]}}
|Ottoman Turkish ''abla'', "elder sister"
|Female relatives older than the speaker by about 10–15 years.
|}

Other honorifics also exist.

In usage, honorifics are used in the second and third person.

{{Expand section|date=April 2011}}

== Study ==
Egyptian Arabic has been a subject of study by scholars and laypersons in the past and the present for many reasons, including personal interest, [[egyptomania]], business, news reporting, and diplomatic and political interactions. Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) is now a field of study in both graduate and undergraduate levels in many higher education institutions and universities in the world. When added to academic instruction, Arabic
-language schools and university programs provide Egyptian Arabic courses in a classroom fashion, and others facilitate classes for online study.

== Sample text ==
'''Article 1 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]]'''

'''Egyptian'''/'''Masri''' (Arabic script; spelling not standardised):
<blockquote>
<div dir="rtl">
{{lang|arz|الاعلان العالمى لحقوق الانسان, البند الاولانى}}
<br />
{{lang|arz|الاعلان العالمى لحقوق الانسان، البند الاولانى
البنى ادمين كلهم مولودين حرّين ومتساويين فى الكرامة والحقوق. اتوهبلهم العقل والضمير، والمفروض يعاملو بعضيهم بروح الاخوية.}}
</div>
</blockquote>

Franco/[[Arabic Chat Alphabet]] (has no strict standard):
<blockquote>
el e3lan el 3alami le 72u2 el ensan, el band el awalani
<br />
el bani2admin kollohom mawlodin 7orrin we metsawyin fel karama wel 7o2u2. Etwahablohom el 3a2l wel damir, wel mafrud ye3amlo ba3dihom be ro7 el akhaweya.
</blockquote>

IPA Phonemic transcription (for comparison with [[Modern Standard Arabic|Literary Arabic]]):
<blockquote>
{{IPA|/il ʔiʕˈlaːn il ʕaːˈlami li ħˈʔuːʔ il ʔinˈsaːn <nowiki>|</nowiki> il ˈband il ʔawwaˈlaːni/}}
<br />
{{IPA|/il bani ʔadˈmiːn kulˈluhum mawluˈdiːn ħurˈriːn wi mitsawˈjiːn fik kaˈrˤaːma wil ħuˈʔuːʔ <nowiki>||</nowiki> ʔetwahabˈlohom ilˈʕaʔle we ddˤaˈmiːr wel mafˈruːdˤ jeʕamlo baʕˈdˤiːhom biˈroːħ el ʔaxaˈwejja/}}
</blockquote>

IPA phonemic transcription (for a general demonstration of Egyptian phonology):
<blockquote>
{{IPA|/el ʔeʕˈlaːn el ʕaːˈlami le ħˈʔuːʔ el ʔenˈsaːn <nowiki>|</nowiki> el ˈband el ʔawwaˈlaːni/}}
<br />
{{IPA|/el bani ʔadˈmiːn kolˈlohom mawloˈdiːn ħorˈriːn we metsawˈjiːn fel kaˈrˤaːma wel ħoˈʔuːʔ <nowiki>||</nowiki> ʔetwahabˈlohom elˈʕaʔle we ddˤaˈmiːr wel mafˈruːdˤ jeˈʕamlu baʕˈdˤiːhom beˈroːħ el ʔaxaˈwejja/}}
</blockquote>

IPA phonetic transcription morphologically (in fast speech, [[vowel length|long vowels]] are half-long or without distinctive length):
<blockquote>
{{IPA|[el ʔeʕˈlæːn el ʕæˈlæmi le ħˈʔuːʔ el ʔenˈsæːn <nowiki>|</nowiki> el ˈbænd el ʔæwwæˈlæːni]}}
<br />
{{IPA|[el bæniʔædˈmiːn kolˈlohom mæwlʊˈdiːn ħʊrˈriːn we metsæwˈjiːn fel kɑˈɾɑːmɑ wel ħʊˈʔuːʔ <nowiki>||</nowiki> ʔetwæhæbˈlohom elˈʕæʔle we ddɑˈmiːɾ wel mɑfˈɾuːd jeˈʕæmlu bɑʕˈdiːhom beˈɾoːħ el ʔæxæˈwejjæ]}}
</blockquote>

A suggested alphabet:<ref>http://www.facebook.com/egyptianalphabet</ref>
<blockquote>
El-Eɛlan el-Ɛalami le Ḥoquq el-Ensan, el-band el-awwalani:

El-bani'admin kollohom mawludin ḥorrin we metsawyin fek-karama wel-ḥoquq. Etwahablohom el-ɛaql weḍ-ḍamir, wel-mafruḍ yeɛamlo baɛḍihom be roḥ el-axaweyya.
</blockquote>

'''[[English language|English]]''':
<blockquote>
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
<br />
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in the spirit of brotherhood.
</blockquote>

== Sample words and sentences ==
* {{lang|arz|إزيك}} {{IPA|[ezˈzæjjæk]}} ("How are you [m.]")
* {{lang|arz|إزيك}} {{IPA|[ezˈzæjjek]}} ("How are you [f.]")
* {{lang|arz|إزيكو}} {{IPA|[ezzæjˈjoko]}} ("How are you [pl.]")
* {{lang|arz|ايه ده}} {{IPA|[ˈʔeː ˈdæ]}} ("What's all this?", "What's the point", "What's this?" – expression of annoyance)
** Ex.: {{lang|arz|إنتا بتقوللهم عليا كده ليه, ايه ده؟}} {{IPA|[entæ betʔolˈlohom ʕæˈlæjjæ ˈkedæ ˈleː ˈʔeː dæ]}} ("Why are you telling them such things about me, ''what's all this''?")
* {{lang|arz|خلاص}} {{IPA|[xɑˈlɑːsˤ]}}: several meanings, though its main meaning is "enough", often adverbial
** "Stop it!" Ex.: {{lang|arz|زهقت, خلاص}} {{IPA|[zeˈheʔte xɑˈlɑːsˤ]}} ("I'm annoyed, ''stop it!''&#x202f;")
** "It's over!", "finally, eventually" {{lang|arz|مامتى كانت عيانه و ماتت, خلاص}}  Ex.: {{IPA|[ˈmɑmti kæːnet ʕajˈjæːnæ wˈmæːtet xɑˈlɑːsˤ]}}| ("My mother was ill and died ''finally''." [or "...and'' it's over now''"])
** "Ok, then!" Ex.: {{lang|arz|خلاص, أشوفك بكرا}} {{IPA|[xɑˈlɑːsˤ ʔæˈʃuːfæk ˈbokɾɑ]}} ("I'll see you tomorrow ''then''")
* {{lang|arz|خالص}} {{IPA|[ˈxɑːlesˤ]}} ("at all")
** {{lang|arz|ماعندناش حاجه نقولها خالص}} {{IPA|[mæʕændeˈnæːʃ ˈħæːɡæ nˈʔolhæ ˈxɑːlesˤ]}} ("We have nothing ''at all'' to say")
* {{lang|arz|كفاية}} {{IPA|[keˈfæːjæ]}} ("It's enough!" or "That's enough")
* {{lang|arz|يعنى}} {{IPA|[ˈjæʕni]}} ("that's to say" or "meaning" or "y'know")
** As answer to {{lang|arz|إنتا عامل إيه؟}} {{IPA|[entæ ˈʕæːmel ˈ(ʔ)eː]}} ("How do you do [m.]?") (as an answer: {{lang|arz|مش أد كده}} {{IPA|[meʃ ˈʔædde ˈkedæ]}} "I am so so" or {{lang|arz|نص نص}} {{IPA|[ˈnosˤse ˈnosˤ]}} "half half" = {{lang|arz|مش تمام}} {{IPA|[meʃ tæˈmæːm]}} "not perfect")
** {{lang|arz|يعنى ايه؟}} {{IPA|[jæʕni ˈʔeː]}} ("What does that ''mean?''")
** {{lang|arz|إمتا هتخلص يعنى؟}} {{IPA|[ˈemtæ hɑtˈxɑllɑsˤ ˈjæʕni]}} ("When are you finishing ''exactly, then''?)
* {{lang|arz|بقى}} {{IPA|[ˈbæʔæ]}} (particle of enforcement → "just" in imperative clauses and "well,...then?" in questions)
** {{lang|arz|هاته بقى}} {{IPA|[ˈhæːto ˈbæʔæ]}} ("''Just'' give it to me!)" {{lang|arz|عمل ايه بقى؟}} {{IPA|[ˈʕæmæl ˈ(ʔ)eː ˈbæʔæ]}} ''or''&nbsp; {{IPA|[ˈʕæmæl ˈ(ʔ)eː ˈbæʔæ]}} ("''Well'', what did he do ''then''?")

== See also ==
* [[Arabic language]]
* [[Bayoumi Andil]]
* [[Classical Arabic]]
* [[Coptic language]]
* [[Egyptian Arabic Wikipedia]]
* [[Egyptian language]]
* [[Futuh]] or early Muslim military expansions
* [[Modern Standard Arabic]]
* [[UCLA Language Materials Project]]
* [[Varieties of Arabic]]

== Notes ==
=== Explanitory notes ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{note|A|Note A}} <small>[[Classical Arabic]] pronunciation:</small> {{IPA|[alluʁˠatu lmisˠɾijjatu lħadiːθa]}}; <small>[[Modern Standard Arabic|Literary Arabic]]:</small> {{IPA|/alluɣatu lmisˤrijjatu lħadiːθa/}}.
* {{note|B|Note B}} <small>[[Classical Arabic]] pronunciation:</small> {{IPA|[alluʁˠatu lmisˠɾijjatu lʕaːmmijja]}}; <small>[[Modern Standard Arabic|Literary Arabic]]:</small> {{IPA|/alluɣatu lmisˤrijjatu lʕaːmmijja/}}.
* {{note|C|Note C}} <small>[[Classical Arabic]] pronunciation:</small> {{IPA|[allahɟatu lmisˠɾijja]}}; <small>[[Modern Standard Arabic|Literary Arabic]]:</small> {{IPA|/allahɡatu lmisˤrijja/}}.
{{refend}}

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|2}}

== Sources ==
* {{Cite book|first=Ernest T. |last=Abdel-Massih |author2=A. Fathy Bahig |year=1978 |title=Comprehensive Study of Egyptian Arabic: Conversation Texts, Folk Literature, Cultural Ethnological and Socio Linguistic Notes |publisher=[[University of Michigan]] |location=Ann Arbor |isbn=0-932098-11-8}}
* {{Cite book|first=Behnstedt |last=Peter |author2=Manfred Woidich |year=1985 |title=Die ägyptisch-arabischen Dialekte, vols. I, II |publisher=L. Reichert |location=Wiesbaden}}
* Gary, Judith Olmsted, & Saad Gamal-Eldin. 1982.  ''Cairene Egyptian Colloquial Arabic''.  Lingua Descriptive Studies 6.  Amsterdam: North Holland.
* {{Cite book|first=Niloofar |last=Haeri |year=2003 |title=Sacred Language, Ordinary People: Dilemmas of Culture and Politics in Egypt |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=0-312-23897-5}}
* Harrell, Richard S.  1957.  ''The Phonology of Colloquial Egyptian Arabic''.  American Council of Learned Societies Program in Oriental Languages Publications Series B, Aids, Number 9.  New York: American Council of Learned Societies.
* {{Cite book|first=Martin |last=Hinds |author2=El-Said Badawi |year=1987 |title=A Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic   |publisher=French & European Pubns |isbn=0-8288-0434-6}}
* Mitchell, T. F.  1956.  ''An Introduction to Egyptian Colloquial Arabic''.  Oxford: Oxford University Press.
* Mitchell, T. F.  1962.  ''Colloquial Arabic: the Living Language of Egypt''. London: The [[English universities]] Press.
* {{Cite book|first=Karl G. |last=Presse |author2=Katrine Blanford |author3=Elisabeth A. Moestrup |author4=Iman El-Shoubary   |year=2000 |title=5 Egyptian-Arabic One Act Plays: A First Reader  |publisher=Museum Tusculanum| edition=Bilingual |isbn=87-7289-612-4}}
* {{Cite book|first=Ahmad Abdel-Hamid |last=Youssef |year=2003 |title=From Pharaoh's Lips: Ancient Egyptian Language in the Arabic of Today  |publisher=[[American University in Cairo]] Press |isbn=977-424-708-6}}
* Tomiche, Nada.  1964.  ''Le parler arabe du Caire''.  Paris: Mouton.
* {{Cite book|last=Versteegh |first=Kees |title=The Arabic Language |publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]] |location=Edinburgh |year=2001 |isbn=0-7486-1436-2}}
* {{Citation
|last=Watson
|first=Janet
|year=2002
|title=The Phonology and Morphology of Arabic
|place=New York
|publisher=Oxford University Press
}}

== External links ==
{{InterWiki|code=arz}}
{{Wikivoyage|Egyptian Arabic phrasebook}}
{{Wiktionary|Appendix:Egyptian Arabic Swadesh list}}
* [http://lingualism.com/section/arabic/egyptian-arabic/ Blog and learning materials for Egyptian Arabic] Lingualism Publishing
* [http://www.lisaanmasry.org/ Lisaan masry] – a comprehensive online dictionary, thesaurus and grammar of Colloquial Egyptian Arabic, with free downloads for Android, iPhone/iPad, Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, Kindle, PDF
* [http://www.study-arabic.info/content/arabic-and-its-variations Arabic and its variations] – Article at Study-Arabic.info
* "[http://www.danielpipes.org/books/an-arabists-guide-to-egyptian-colloquial.pdf An Arabist's Guide to Egyptian Colloquial]" by [[Daniel Pipes]] ([https://www.webcitation.org/6MQe7bxBY?url=http://www.danielpipes.org/books/an-arabists-guide-to-egyptian-colloquial.pdf Archive])
* [http://arabictuts.blogspot.com/ Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Lessons In English] "Let's talk in Arabic" blog
* [http://www.coptic.org/language/colloquialegyptian.htm Coptic Words in Egyptian Arabic] {{in lang|ar}}
* [http://www.earabiclearning.com/learn-arabic-online/egyptian-arabic-course  Egyptian Arabic lessons]
* [http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=51 Description of Egyptian Arabic from UCLA's Language Materials Project]
* [http://egyptianarabiccourse.blogspot.com/ Egyptian Arabic Dialect Course (through song lyrics)]
* [http://arabic.colegioo.com/lessons Free Arabic and Egyptian lessons]
* [http://masri.freehostia.com/ Alfabet el-Loġa l-Maṣri] – a proposed Latin-based alphabet for the modern Egyptian language (Maṣri/English).
* [http://www.arabiccomplete.com/ ''Learn to Speak and Read Egyptian Arabic''] Using a highly visual approach to learning with color-coded text, up to 6,000 audio clips, videos, and podcasts.
* [http://arabicgenie.com/blog/2009/08/egyptian-arabic-a-quick-introduction Egyptian Arabic] Introductory article
* [http://www.ahewar.org/debat/show.art.asp?aid=114792 A review on the book ''Present Culture in Egypt''] {{in lang|ar}}
* [https://sites.google.com/site/khaledshaalan/publications/conference-papers/161_Camera_ready_manuscript.pdf?attredirects=0 Transferring Egyptian Colloquial into Modern Standard Arabic]
* [http://lepetitameyya.org/ A community-based Ameyya-English dictionary]

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