What is Arabizi: what 2, 3, 5 and 7 mean in Latin-letter Arabic

Arabizi (also called 'arabish' or 'franco-arab') is how millions of Arabs write their dialect on their phones and on social media: in Latin letters and a few numbers. Instead of learning the Arabic alphabet first, you can read and write Lebanese right away, using letters you already know.

Why numbers?

Arabic has a few sounds that don't exist in English and have no matching Latin letter. Speakers found a clever fix: they use numbers whose shape resembles the corresponding Arabic letter. Here's the key:

Real examples

• Mar7aba (مرحبا) — 'hi' — the number 7 is the ح sound from the throat.
• 3afwan (عفواً) — 'you're welcome' — the number 3 is the ع sound.
• Kifak? (كيفك؟) — 'how are you?' — no numbers, read as written.
• Ta2burni (تقبرني) — a term of affection — the number 2 is a short stop.

See more in the article on the first 20 Lebanese phrases.

Is it 'cheating' to learn with Arabizi?

Not at all. Arabizi is the real way Lebanese people write to each other every day. For a beginner, it's the fastest route to conversation — you don't get stuck on writing while you learn to speak. In class we use Arabizi at first and move gradually to the Arabic alphabet, at your pace, through the Oral First method.

That method runs through every format we teach — see the courses and levels, from beginner groups to one-on-one lessons.