Arabic Learning Resources > Levantine Arabic Resources > Jordanian Arabic
Jordanian Arabic is the southern branch of Levantine Arabic, spoken by roughly seven to ten million people, including Jordan's large population of Palestinian origin. It sits in the same family as Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese Arabic and is closest to Palestinian - in Amman the two blend so thoroughly that drawing a line between them is often pointless.
What sets Jordan apart is that three registers of the dialect coexist in one small country. Urban Ammani speech turns the classical qaf into a glottal stop and carries prestige among younger city speakers. Rural speech, sometimes called fallahi, keeps the qaf as a hard "g" - saying "gul" for "say" is the classic Jordanian marker. Bedouin varieties in the south and east form a third register, with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) - the language of newscasts, schoolbooks, and formal writing - floating above all three.
This page covers what makes the dialect distinct and lists the resources we recommend. For a step-by-step study plan, read our full guide to learning Jordanian Arabic instead.
What makes Jordanian Arabic distinct
Like the rest of the Levantine family, Jordanian Arabic marks present-tense verbs with a "b-" prefix, so "bahki" means "I speak" - a habit MSA does not have. The qaf is the dialect's social fingerprint: the same word can surface as "gul", "ul", or "qul" depending on the speaker's background. Everyday vocabulary also splits from MSA in ways a learner meets on day one:
| Jordanian | MSA | English |
|---|---|---|
| keefak (كيفك) | kayfa haluk (كيف حالك) | how are you |
| shu (شو) | matha (ماذا) | what |
| wein (وين) | ayna (أين) | where |
| hala' (هلأ) | al-aan (الآن) | now |
| zalameh (زلمة) | rajul (رجل) | man, guy |
| mnih (منيح) | jayyid (جيد) | good |
| bahki (بحكي) | atakallam (أتكلم) | I speak |
Who should learn Jordanian Arabic
Learn Jordanian Arabic if you plan to live, study, or work in Jordan. Amman is one of the best bases in the Middle East for a learner: English is widespread enough that you are never stranded, yet Arabic immersion is easy to find outside expat circles. The dialect also suits aid and development workers, since Jordan hosts many international organizations, and heritage speakers with Jordanian or Palestinian family. What you learn transfers with little friction to Palestinian Arabic and, with modest adjustment, to Syrian and Lebanese. If your goal is reading news or classical texts, start with MSA instead.
How to use these resources
Start with the free Live Lingua Jordanian course, built from Peace Corps materials, for a base in pronunciation and core grammar. Add "The 101 Most Used Verbs in Spoken Arabic: Jordan and Palestine" early - verbs carry Levantine sentences, and its audio makes the b- prefix system stick. Once you can form simple sentences, book conversation practice through italki, or through Qasid Online for a structured curriculum taught in Jordanian Arabic. The Diwan Baladna dictionary is the desk reference, provided you can read Arabic script. For listening, climb a ladder: Jordanian Sesame Street for slow, clear speech, CGE Jordan Institute for guided lessons, then My American Neighbor and Female Show for comedy at native speed, and finally Roya TV's news and drama output.
The table below lists every resource we recommend for Jordanian Arabic, with a note on what each does best.
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Hakini Arabi: Palestinian and Jordanian Colloquial | A course centered around the spoken Arabic in Jordan and Palestine. |
| The 101 Most Used Verbs in Spoken Arabic: Jordan & Palestine | An excellent book with detailed definitions and sample sentences. Includes audio. |
| My American Neighbor | A Comedy TV show in the Jordanian dialect. |
| Spoken Arabic Dictionary, Diwan Baladna | An excellent resource for speaking Jordanian Dialect. You must be able to read Arabic to use this book |
| CGE Jordan Institute | A Youtube channel that teaches Arabic so you can get around in Jordan. Mainly focuses on spoken Arabic. |
| Live Lingua Jordanian | Excellent course that teaches Jordanian dialect |
| italki Arabic | Connect with Arabic tutors and practice your conversational skills. |
| Talk In Arabic | A service that teaches you how to speak in Arabic dialects. |
| Qasid Online | An online course centered around teaching Jordanian Arabic. The course consists of a structured plan with one on one conversations. |
| Roya TV | TV news channel in Jordanian dialect. Be sure to check out their comedy and drama channels on youtube. |
| Jordanian Sesame Street | Sesame street in the Jordanian dialect. |
| Female Show | A popular Comedy series in the Jordanian dialect. It is a little challenging for beginners but worth watching. |
Frequently asked questions
Is Jordanian Arabic the same as Palestinian Arabic?
They are distinct but extremely close - both are southern Levantine dialects, and Jordan's large Palestinian-origin population means the two mix daily in Amman. Most resources cover them as a pair, including Hakini Arabi and The 101 Most Used Verbs in Spoken Arabic. If you learn one, you will understand the other with almost no adjustment.
Why do some Jordanians say "gul" and others say "ul" for the same word?
The difference is the qaf. Rural and Bedouin speakers pronounce it as a hard "g", the sound most strongly tied to Jordanian identity, while urban Amman speech replaces it with a glottal stop, which carries prestige among younger city speakers. Both are correct; recognize both and copy whichever the people around you use.
Should I learn Jordanian Arabic or MSA first?
The honest answer depends on your time budget. With an hour a day you can run both in parallel - MSA from a textbook, Jordanian Arabic from a tutor or the street - which is how many learners in Amman actually study. If you can only sustain one, let your goal decide: the dialect for living and talking in Jordan, MSA for newspapers, documents, and classical texts.
Is Amman a good city for learning Arabic?
Yes, and it is often recommended over larger Arab capitals. English is common enough that beginners can handle logistics, but everyday life runs in Arabic, so immersion takes no special effort. Amman has established institutes and plenty of tutors, and the dialect you pick up is understood across the Levant.
Related dialects and guides
- Our full guide to learning Jordanian Arabic, a step-by-step plan for going from zero to conversation
- Levantine Arabic resources, an overview of the dialect family Jordanian belongs to
- Palestinian Arabic resources, the closest sibling dialect
- Syrian Arabic resources, the northern Levantine neighbor
- Arabic dialect resources, our hub covering every regional dialect we have guides for