Masr Phrase

Home / Short Courses

Short Egyptian Arabic Courses for Travellers

A few live sessions before your trip converts a phrasebook into real spoken confidence. We run small, focused courses in Egyptian Arabic — online for travellers preparing remotely, and in person in Alexandria for those already here.

Why live sessions

What a teacher adds that a phrasebook cannot

Phrases on a page prepare you to speak. A teacher prepares you to hear, react and hold a conversation even when the reply is nothing like the example.

The gap between reading a phrase and using it in the street is almost entirely about confidence and hearing. When a vendor in Khan el-Khalili replies to your bikām da? (how much is this?) with rapid Masri at full speed, a phrasebook cannot help you parse it. A teacher can — because a teacher has done that drill with dozens of travellers, knows exactly which syllables people miss, and can replay it at the speed you need until it clicks.

A second thing a teacher provides is correction without embarrassment. Egyptian Arabic has sounds that English speakers consistently mispronounce — the ʿayn, the heavy ḥ, the difference between q in Classical Arabic and the glottal stop (ʾ) in Masri. Getting those sounds approximately right matters; getting them wrong does not stop comprehension, but getting them close enough makes people visibly respond differently. A live session with immediate feedback is the fastest route to "close enough."

Our courses are deliberately short because most travellers do not need fluency — they need a working repertoire for a two-week trip. We focus on the situations that will actually arise: greetings, the market, transport, cafés, emergencies. Grammar stays minimal. Speaking time per session stays high. By the third session of the crash course, most participants are comfortable starting a real conversation, not just reciting memorised lines.

Course formats

Three ways to learn

Choose by how much time you have, whether you learn better alone or with a partner, and whether you are still at home or already in Egypt.

A laptop open to a video call with an Egyptian Arabic teacher
Most popular

Travel Crash Course

Three live online sessions of 60 minutes each, spread over one to two weeks before departure. Up to two participants per course. Each session covers a cluster of situations — Session 1: greetings and numbers; Session 2: transport and directions; Session 3: market, food and emergencies. Includes a shared digital phrase sheet updated after each session with vocabulary you actually practised. Suitable for absolute beginners and those with some prior exposure. Delivered via Zoom or Google Meet. Available seven days a week including evenings (Cairo time, UTC+3).

See pricing →
One-on-one tutoring session with notes and a phrase sheet
Fastest progress

Private Tutoring

One-on-one sessions of 60 or 90 minutes, online or in person in Alexandria. You set the focus — market bargaining, a specific region you are visiting, a social event, or pure conversation practice. The teacher prepares scenarios tailored to your trip. No fixed curriculum: the lesson goes where you need it to go. Most clients book between two and five sessions before a trip; some book follow-up sessions during their stay in Egypt. Reschedules accepted with 48-hour notice. Available online worldwide and in person at our Attarine office in Alexandria.

See pricing →
A teacher and student at a café table in Alexandria
In Egypt already

Alexandria In-Person

Daily sessions at our office at 22 Fouad Street, Attarine, Alexandria, or at a nearby café by arrangement. Designed for travellers who have just arrived or are about to move on to Cairo and want an intensive push before the bulk of their trip. Can be combined with a short guided walk through the Attarine market to practise market phrases in a real environment. Sessions run 90 minutes. Availability is limited to four in-person slots per day, so booking one to two days ahead is recommended.

Book a session →
How a course works

From booking to your first conversation

1

Tell us about your trip

Fill in the contact form or email [email protected] with your travel dates, destination cities, and current level (never studied / a bit / some Arabic). We reply within one business day with available slots and a suggested format. No commitment at this stage.

2

Confirm and pay

Once we agree on the schedule, we send a confirmation with a secure payment link. For the Travel Crash Course, you pay the full package upfront. For private tutoring, you pay per session or in a bundle of three or five at a discount — your choice. Reschedule policy: 48 hours notice, no charge.

3

Receive your pre-session sheet

Before your first session we send a short document with fifteen vocabulary items and the sounds you will focus on. Reviewing it for 15 minutes beforehand means your first session starts running, not walking. Nothing to memorise — just a preview so the session feels familiar from the first minute.

4

Live session with your teacher

Sessions are speaking-dominant. We do not spend 20 minutes on grammar slides. You speak Arabic from the first ten minutes — beginning with sounds and short phrases, building to full exchanges by the end. Your teacher corrects in real time, explains when something is important, and skips when it is not. The goal is functional spoken confidence, not academic completion.

5

Updated phrase sheet and next steps

After each session we update your personal phrase sheet with vocabulary from that session, plus a short list of five things to practise before the next one. The phrase sheet is yours to keep and use during your trip — a pocket reference built from your actual sessions, not a generic list.

What is covered

Topics by level and format

Every course is adjusted to your starting point. This is the full topic pool we draw from, organised by practical category.

TopicZero-knowledge levelSome-Arabic level
Greetings and introductionsFull sessionQuick review + variants
Numbers 1–1000Full sessionReview + ordinals
Prices and bargainingCovered in session 3Extended with complex exchanges
Directions and transportCovered in session 2Full session with dialect variants
Ordering food and drinkIntroduced in session 3Full menu vocabulary + requests
Market vocabularyCovered in session 3Extended with negotiation role-play
Egyptian sounds (ʿayn, ḥ, gh, kh)Dedicated pronunciation blockTargeted correction as needed
Emergency phrasesCovered in session 3Expanded with medical vocabulary
Script / reading signsOptional add-onOptional add-on or private focus
Café and restaurant social ArabicPrivate tutoring onlyFull session option
Hotel and accommodationPrivate tutoring onlyPrivate tutoring option
Region-specific vocabulary (Siwa, Luxor, Aswan)Private tutoring onlyPrivate tutoring + dialect notes
Common questions

Before you book

By the end of the three-session crash course most participants can greet people correctly, ask for prices and respond to a counter-offer, handle a taxi or metro journey, order food, and navigate basic situations like asking for a toilet or exit. That covers roughly 90 percent of what you will actually need as a traveller.

No. The Travel Crash Course and private tutoring both have a zero-knowledge starting point. We do not assume any prior knowledge of Arabic script, grammar or vocabulary. If you have studied some Arabic before, we adjust the pace and vocabulary accordingly from the first session.

Sessions run over Zoom or Google Meet — whichever you prefer. You need only a stable internet connection and a microphone. We send a shared digital phrase sheet before each session so you can follow along and take notes directly in the document.

Yes. We meet in person at our office at 22 Fouad Street, Attarine, Alexandria, or at a central café by arrangement. In-person sessions allow for more spontaneous street-practice exercises and are popular with travellers who are already in the city and want intensive immersion over a few days.

We recommend booking at least three weeks before departure for the Travel Crash Course, to allow time for the three sessions plus a few days of independent practice. Private tutoring can be arranged on shorter notice — even a week before departure. Contact us and we will check availability for your dates.

Yes. The Travel Crash Course allows up to two participants per session (a couple, two friends travelling together). This keeps the class interactive and allows role-play between students. If you are a group of three or more, contact us and we will arrange a custom group session at a group rate.

Script is an optional add-on topic in private tutoring and is not part of the Travel Crash Course by default. All course materials use a clear Latin transliteration. If you want a script introduction, see the free Script Basics guide or ask for a script session in your tutoring package.

Sessions can be rescheduled up to 48 hours before the start time at no charge. Full refunds are available if you cancel more than 72 hours ahead. Within 72 hours we offer a one-time reschedule. We know travel plans change — we try to be flexible as long as you give us notice.

Free material first

Start with the phrasebooks

Before deciding on a course, start with the free guides. The essential phrases give you the hundred words that cover most situations. The pronunciation guide shows you how to handle the sounds. The market phrases are a complete souk reference in themselves.

If after working through the free material you want live feedback, role-play and a teacher who knows exactly which parts Egyptian travellers find hardest, that is what the courses are for. Full details and prices on the courses page.

Book your first session

Tell us your travel dates, current level and what you want to cover. We will reply with a suggested schedule and available slots within one business day.

Open the booking form →