Languages
Native
Arabic
99%
Secondary languages
Hebrew
35%
English
20%
Language Samples
مرحبا، كيف حالك؟
Marhaba, kif halak?
Hello, how are you?
أنا بخير، شكراً.
Ana bikhair, shukran.
I am very well, thanks.
واحد، اثنان، ثلاثة، أربعة، خمسة، ستة، سبعة، ثمانية، تسعة، عشرة.
Wahid, ithnan, thalatha, arba'a, khamsa, sitta, sab'a, thamaniya, tis'a, 'ashara.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Linguistic History
Palestinian Arabic is a variety of Levantine Arabic, closely related to the dialects of Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Arabic has been the dominant language of the region since the 7th century Arab conquest, displacing earlier Aramaic. The Palestinian dialect retains some features of older Canaanite and Aramaic substrates — for instance, the word for 'now' (*halla'*) derives from Aramaic. Hebrew, revived as a spoken language in the late 19th century, is widely understood by Palestinians who live and work alongside Hebrew speakers. The Palestinian Authority uses Modern Standard Arabic for official purposes, while colloquial Palestinian Arabic — with distinct urban (Jerusalem, Nablus) and rural varieties — is the everyday tongue.
Similar Languages
Levantine Arabic (Lebanon/Syria)
90%
Jordanian Arabic
88%
Modern Standard Arabic
75%
Media
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem — one of the most contested sites in the world
Did You Know
01
Palestinian Arabic belongs to the Levantine dialect group and is mutually intelligible with Syrian, Lebanese, and Jordanian Arabic.
02
The word 'halla'' (meaning 'now') used in Palestinian Arabic is borrowed from Aramaic — the language spoken in the region before the Arab conquests.
03
Hebrew is widely understood among Palestinians, particularly in the West Bank, due to decades of cross-border economic and social contact.
04
The Palestinian dialect is divided into distinct urban varieties (Jerusalem, Nablus, Hebron) and rural/Bedouin dialects, each with recognisable phonological features.