First Steps in Lebanese
Your starting point for real conversation in the Lebanese dialect — greetings, family, food, daily life, and the sounds that make Lebanese distinctive. Eight structured lessons, designed and delivered by professional native instructors.
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Not sure where to start — or already know some Lebanese? Not sure where to start? Take our free placement quiz — designed for the Lebanese dialect — and get a personalised learning roadmap. It takes about five minutes. Take the Free Quiz →
Every level at Speaking Lebanese includes rich vocabulary with audio for every single word, Arabizi transliterations, pronunciation training, grammar in context, listening practice, cultural insights, dialogues, and more. Even if you have some background in Lebanese, we recommend starting at A1 — you'll solidify your foundations, reinforce sounds and structures you may have picked up informally, and discover vocabulary and grammar concepts you didn't know you were missing. Most learners with informal exposure find A1 moves quickly and builds real confidence.
What you'll be able to do by the end of A1
Greet people, introduce yourself, and ask basic questions in Lebanese
Use numbers, tell the time, and share personal information naturally
Talk about your family using Lebanese possessive structures
Order food and drinks and navigate a café or restaurant conversation
Describe your daily routine using present-tense verbs
Ask for and understand basic directions
Handle simple shopping interactions with confidence
Recognise and produce all seven sounds unique to the Lebanese dialect
How each lesson is built
Every lesson follows the same 12-step sequence — so you always know where you are, and each skill builds on the last. No filler, no randomness.
Eight lessons from zero to confident A1
Greetings & Introductions
Learn how Lebanese speakers actually say hello — formal and informal, morning and evening. Covers subject pronouns, the Lebanese zero-copula, and sounds ح، ع، ء with audio for every word and Arabizi throughout.
Numbers & Personal Info
Numbers 0–100, phone numbers, ages, and the gendered -e suffix used for job titles. Audio for every vocabulary item; sounds خ and ط introduced with dedicated pronunciation training.
Family & Relationships
Build the vocabulary for your whole family tree and master all six Lebanese possessive-suffix forms. Includes warm direct-address terms — jiddo, 3ammo, teta — used every day in Lebanese homes. Sound غ.
Food & Drink / Ordering
Order with confidence in a Lebanese café or restaurant. Demonstratives (this / that), "I want," and the vocabulary for dishes, drinks, and colours. Sound ص and a full cultural insight on Lebanese food culture.
Time & Calendar
Tell the time in Lebanese, talk about days of the week, and plan your schedule. Key expressions: 3endi (I have), fiyi (I can), fi (there is). 62 vocabulary items, all with audio and Arabizi throughout.
Daily Routine & Habits
Describe your day from morning to night. The biggest grammar milestone in A1: full present-tense verb conjugation across all eight persons, plus how to negate. 128 vocabulary items, including a dedicated "Around the House" reference set.
Getting Around & Shopping
Ask for and give directions, navigate Lebanese streets, and shop at a market or store. Covers prepositions of place, imperatives, plural forms, and comparatives — so you can say "go left," "that's bigger," or "the cheaper one."
Review & A1 Capstone
Bring everything together — all seven core sounds, all A1 grammar milestones, and a final proficiency assessment sampling vocabulary and grammar from across the level. Pass the capstone and earn your A1 certificate.
Practice is what makes the difference.
"Lebanese is not a foreign language — it is a living one. And living languages are meant to be spoken, not just studied. Learning a language can feel overwhelming, but it really just takes a structured path, engaging practice, and confidence — practice, practice, practice."
Your subscription gives you the full course. The optional resources below are there for when you want live practice with a professional native Lebanese teacher, a targeted 15-minute session on one specific sound, or a Speaking Lebanese Proficiency Certificate for your level. Always optional. Always on your terms.
Pronunciation Mini-Lessons
Fifteen focused minutes on a single sound — great for the Lebanese sounds that feel unfamiliar at first. Book one whenever you want a targeted breakthrough.
Explore mini-lessons →1:1 Private Practice Sessions
45-minute live conversation sessions with a professional native instructor — real-time feedback, at your pace, on what you're actually learning right now. Available as a single session or in packs of 5 or 10.
Book a session →Oral Proficiency Assessment
Complete a live 10–15 minute oral proficiency assessment with a Speaking Lebanese instructor and demonstrate what you can actually do in Lebanese. Your performance is evaluated against our CEFR-aligned Lebanese proficiency standards. Pass your assessment and receive a Speaking Lebanese Proficiency Certificate indicating your demonstrated CEFR-referenced level.
Learn about the assessment →Designed by Nidale Bachir, Co-Founder & Course Designer · Delivered by our team of professional native Lebanese instructors
Frequently asked questions
I've heard some Lebanese before. Should I start at A1?
Yes — we recommend it. Every lesson includes rich vocabulary with audio, Arabizi transliterations, pronunciation training, grammar in context, listening practice, cultural insights, and more. Learners with informal exposure consistently find that A1 moves quickly, reinforces sounds and structures they had half-learned, and builds the solid foundation that makes everything at A2 and beyond stick. If you're genuinely unsure, take our free placement quiz first — it takes five minutes and places you at A1, A2, or B1.
Do I need to know how to read Arabic script?
No. Speaking Lebanese teaches the spoken dialect, and all vocabulary is presented in Arabizi — Latin-letter transliterations that let you read and practise immediately, no new alphabet required. For example: mar7aba for hello, keefak / keefik for how are you (masculine / feminine), yeslamo for thank you. We cover a great deal of Arabizi throughout all lessons, and every word comes with audio so you hear it spoken by a professional native Lebanese teacher. For learners who want to explore the Arabic script alongside, we include it where relevant — but it is never required.
Does my subscription include everything in A1?
Yes — your subscription gives you full access to all eight A1 lessons, all 12 activities per lesson, and your completion certificate. The optional add-ons (1:1 sessions, pronunciation mini-lessons, oral proficiency assessment) are separate and available whenever you're ready for them.
Is this Modern Standard Arabic or the Lebanese dialect?
This is the Lebanese dialect — the spoken, everyday language used in Lebanon. It is distinct from Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. If your goal is to connect with Lebanese people, visit Lebanon, or understand Lebanese media, music, and family life, the dialect is what you need.
What is the oral proficiency assessment and do I need it?
The oral proficiency assessment is a fully optional capstone available at the end of each level. You complete a live 10–15 minute session with a Speaking Lebanese instructor who evaluates your speaking and listening against our CEFR-aligned Lebanese proficiency standards. Pass it and you receive a Speaking Lebanese Proficiency Certificate indicating your demonstrated CEFR-referenced level. It is never required to progress through the course.
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