posted 29 August 2004 06:49 AM            

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Originally posted by Luxorlover:
In Luxor they cannot even understand people from Cairo. (and visa versa)

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posted 29 August 2004 08:48 AM            

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Originally posted by kimo_the_maniac:
The answer is probably yes. Almost everyone you bump into will understand classical Arabic unless you use big unusual words. Even illiterate people manage to understand it because of the Koran, and news, and so on.it.

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posted 29 August 2004 10:23 AM            

If you speak in fusha (classical Arabic for Samia ) and keep the sentences short it will enable you to communicate your basic needs to those who don’t know any English, if you cannot speak in the Egyptian dialect and cannot get away with pointing, but many people may understand you better if you speak in simple English! As people say, you will get strange looks speaking in fusha as people do not use it as a spoken language on the street, but it will be a help until you can pick up useful phrases. Some people may not even realize that you are speaking in Arabic if they hear your foreign accent and may suggest that you learn it, which can be frustrating when you have tried your best to come up with a correct phrase in fusha and pronounce it properly!

I was advised that it is best to learn fusha first and then a dialect, as it is more complex and therefore makes learning the dialect easier, but it depends what your intention is for learning it, whether to speak to people or to read and write.

posted 29 August 2004 11:06 AM            

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Originally posted by newcomer:
Some people may not even realize that you are speaking in Arabic if they hear your foreign accent and may suggest that you learn it, which can be frustrating when you have tried your best to come up with a correct phrase in fusha and pronounce it properly!
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A few phrases in Egyptian dialect might take you further than a few sentences in fusha.

posted 30 August 2004 09:23 AM            

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Originally posted by Dalia:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by newcomer:
Some people may not even realize that you are speaking in Arabic if they hear your foreign accent and may suggest that you learn it, which can be frustrating when you have tried your best to come up with a correct phrase in fusha and pronounce it properly!

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A few phrases in Egyptian dialect might take you further than a few sentences in fusha.

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I have to admit that's true. I heard someone speaking once in what was supposed to be Arabic but because it was fusha and the 3ein's, 7a2's, and hamzas were all gone I first thought it was greek or something. And when she told me it was Arabic, I still couldn't understand a word.

But when it's accentless the effect is definitely laughter. I did it once and I felt rotten because the poor guy's Arabic was flawless. I was also confused by something: If someone speaks in classical does that mean I can't reply in Egyptian?