Arabic, Standard

A language of Saudi Arabia

ISO 639-3

arb

Alternate Names

Al-’Arabiyya, Literary Arabic

Autonym

العربية‎ (al-ʻArabīyah)

Population

24,900,000 in Saudi Arabia (2014 SIL), all users. Total users in all countries: 273,989,700.

Location

Widespread.

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1992, Basic Law, Article 1).

Classification

Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Dialects

Modern Standard Arabic (Modern Literary Arabic), Classical Arabic (Koranic Arabic, Quranic Arabic). Preserves the ancient grammar. A member of macrolanguage Arabic [ara].

Typology

VSO; prepositions; noun head initial; gender (masculine/feminine); dual number; definite and indefinite affixes; case-marking (3 cases); verb affixes mark number, gender of subject; aspect; 28 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on first syllable; triliteral roots, few affixes.

Language Use

Not an L1. In most Arab countries only the well-educated have adequate proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic. Education, official purposes, written materials, and formal speeches. Classical Arabic, with archaic vocabulary, is used for religion and ceremonial purposes.

Language Development

Fully developed. Bible: 1865–2008.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Arabic, Standard

Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], primary usage. Braille script [Brai].

Other Comments

Modern Standard Arabic is modernized Classical Arabic.

Also spoken in:

Expand All

Collapse All

Algeria

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

28,700,000 in Algeria (2015 SIL), all users.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1996, Constitution, Article 3).

Language Use

Not an L1. Written materials, formal speeches.

Language Development

Most are literate in Standard Arabic [arb]. Taught in primary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Algeria

Bahrain

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

612,000 in Bahrain (2013 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2002, Constitution, Article 2).

Language Use

Education, official purposes.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Bahrain

Chad

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

615,000 in Chad (2014 SIL), all users.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1996, Constitution, Article 9).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Chad

Comoros

Language nameArabic, Standard

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2001, Constitution, Article 1).

Language Use

Not a L1.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Comoros

Djibouti

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

40,100 in Djibouti (2015 SIL), all users.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1992, Constitution, Article 1).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Djibouti

Egypt

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

65,500,000 in Egypt (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2014, Constitution, Article 2).

Language Use

Not an L1. Nearly all written materials and formal speeches.

Language Development

Taught in primary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Egypt

Eritrea

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

2,420,000 in Eritrea (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). De facto national language.

Language Use

Media, literature, government, religion. All ages. Positive attitudes.

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Eritrea

Iran

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

1,320,000 in Iran (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

4 (Educational). Recognized language (1979, Constitution, Article 16), used in education.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Iran

Iraq

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

27,200,000 in Iraq (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2005, Constitution, Article 4(1)).

Language Use

Education, official purposes.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Iraq

Israel

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

2,170,000 in Israel (2014 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1922, Palestine Order in Council, Article 82, 10 October).

Language Use

Education and communication among Arabic-speaking countries.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Israel

Jordan

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

5,770,000 in Jordan (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1952, Constitution, Article 2).

Language Use

Use promoted for students. Regional varieties used less in schools. Official purposes, print publications, communication in Arabic-speaking countries.

Language Development

Taught in primary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Jordan

Kuwait

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

1,670,000 in Kuwait (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1962, Constitution, Article 3).

Language Use

Education, official purposes.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Kuwait

Lebanon

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

5,220,000 in Lebanon (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1943, Constitution, Article 11).

Language Use

Education, print publications, official purposes, communication among Arabic speaking countries.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Lebanon

Libya

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

5,650,000 in Libya (2015 SIL), all users.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2011, Constitutional Declaration, Article 1).

Language Use

Not an L1. Nearly all written materials, formal speeches.

Language Development

Taught in primary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Libya

Mali

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

41,800 in Mali (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

4 (Educational). Recognized language (1992, Constitution, Article 25), used in education.

Language Development

Arabic is widely taught, especially in madrasas, or Islamic schools. The government of Mali estimated that about 30% of school-going children are enrolled in Madrasas.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Mali

Mauritania

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

1,840,000 in Mauritania (2013 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1991, Constitution, Article 6).

Language Use

Education, official purposes, formal speeches.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Mauritania

Morocco

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

14,500,000 in Morocco (2015 SIL), all users.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2011, Constitution, Article 5).

Language Use

Education, official purposes, communication among Arabic-speaking countries.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Morocco

Niger

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

7,800 in Niger (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

4 (Educational). Recognized language (2010, Constitution, Article 5), used in education.

Language Use

There are fifteen College of Arts and Islamic Studies in Niger that give specialized attention to Arabic. Used as L2 by Tagdal [tda].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Niger

Oman

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

2,140,000 in Oman (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1996, Basic Law, Article 3).

Language Use

Education, official purposes, formal speeches.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Oman

Palestine

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

4,040,000 in Palestine (2014 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). De facto national language.

Language Use

Education, official purpose, formal speeches.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Palestine

Qatar

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

1,100,000 in Qatar (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2003, Constitution, Article 1).

Language Use

Education, official purposes, formal speeches.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Qatar

Somalia

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

2,050,000 in Somalia (2015 SIL), all users.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2004, Transitional Federal Charter, Article 7(1)).

Language Use

Most Somalis very limited or no proficiency in Arabic.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Somalia

South Sudan

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

3,130,000 in South Sudan (2016 SIL), all users.

Location

Scattered.

Status

4 (Educational).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of South Sudan

Sudan

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

26,900,000 in Sudan (2015 SIL), all users.

Dialects

None known. Not intelligible with Sudanese Spoken Arabic [apd] or Sudanese Creole Arabic [pga].

Status

1 (National). Statutory national working language (2005, Interim Constitution, Article 8(3)).

Language Use

Not L1, but taught in schools. Written materials and formal speeches.

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Sudan

Syria

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

15,900,000 in Syria (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1973, Constitution, Article 4).

Language Use

Education, print publications, official purposes, formal speeches.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Syria

Tanzania

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

No known L1 speakers.

Location

Scattered.

Status

9 (Dormant).

Language Use

Liturgical language only. Mosques, Islamic schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Tanzania

Tunisia

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

8,790,000 in Tunisia (2014 SIL), all users.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1959, Constitution, Article 1).

Language Use

Not an L1. Written materials and formal speeches.

Language Development

Taught in primary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Tunisia

Turkey

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

686,000 in Turkey (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Scattered.

Status

4 (Educational). Recognized language (1982, Constitution, Article 3), used in education.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

3,090,000 in United Arab Emirates (2014 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1996, Constitution, Article 7).

Language Use

Education, official purposes, formal speeches.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of United Arab Emirates

Western Sahara

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

287,000 in Western Sahara (2015 SIL), all users.

Status

1 (National). De facto national language.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Western Sahara

Yemen

Language nameArabic, Standard

Population

17,700,000 in Yemen (2015 SIL), all users.

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1991, Constitution, Article 2).

Language Use

Education, official purposes, formal speeches.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Yemen

Ethnologue

Arabic, Standard

Primary tabs

A language of Saudi Arabia

Also spoken in:

Browse by

Current Edition

Products

Related Sites

Contact