There are several languages spoken in Egypt, with the most common being Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Arabic. Modern Standard Arabic is the official language of Egypt, and almost everyone in the country speaks it. It is taught in schools and used in TV, official government speeches, newspapers, etc. Modern Standard Arabic is also used in most written documents.
Despite Standard Arabic being the official language of Egypt, the language of Egyptians used in the day-to-day communication is a local dialect called Egyptian Arabic. Egyptian Arabic is the most common variant of the Arabic language, and is spoken as a second language in many parts of northern Africa. Egyptian Arabic is spoken by about 65.2 million people, which translates to about 68% of the population speaking it as their first language. Due to the influence and popularity of Egyptian music and films throughout the Arabic-speaking world, Egyptian Arabic is widely understood throughout Northern Africa and other Middle Eastern countries. It is also understood by almost every single Egyptian.
Egyptian Arabic and traditional Arabic are quite similar, with some slight differences in pronunciation. Also, the Egyptian variant contains unique consonants and vowels which cannot be found in the traditional Arabic language. Modern Standard Arabic came from Classical Arabic, and has a grammar and syntax structure that has remained fixed for the most part since the 7th century. Some elements of its style have shifted over time, partly due to the English and French language.
Egypt used to be a British colony for 70 years, and as a result of this, many educated Egyptians learn English in school, so it is fairly easy to get by on English especially among the country’s major city centers and tourist destinations. This makes English one of the most popular foreign languages in the country. Besides English, French is also an influential foreign language in Egypt. Before schools started teaching English, children were taught French, which is why many elderly Egyptians possess considerate knowledge of the French language. Furthermore, there is also an increasing number of French schools in Egypt.
Minority languages in Egypt include Sa’idi Arabic, which is another variant of the Arabic dialect, the Nubian language, and the Berber language. The Berber language is an unwritten language spoken only by those from the western deserts of Egypt. Sudanese Arabic is spoken by a tiny percentage of the population, around 0.6%.
The main immigrant languages in Egypt are Greek, Armenian and Italian.
