Fablingo / Fablingo Arabic
Arabic · Level pre-A1 · A1
Fablingo Arabic
Fablingo Arabic teaches Modern Standard Arabic through one continuing story and a recurring cast. Comprehensible from the first minute, with careful step-by-step script support.
Continue where you left off
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Level pre-A1
Lesson —
Introduction — Meet the neighbours
Lesson 1
The Locked Door (intro) — learn to READ real Arabic
Lesson 2
The tooth family — ب ت ث ن ي
Lesson 3
The vowel-marks — a, i, u and the sukūn
Lesson 4
The ḥ-family — ج ح خ
Lesson 5
Murájaʿa — the first words
Lesson 6
The one-way letters — ا د ذ ر ز و
Lesson 7
The heavy letters — س ش · ص ض · ط ظ
Lesson 8
The throat letters — ع غ · ف ق · ك (and the heart/dog)
Lesson 9
The last letters — ل م ه (and "hello")
Lesson 10
Murájaʿa — all 28 letters
Lesson 11
Two jobs each — و and ي
Lesson 12
The hamza and its seats — ء أ إ ؤ ئ
Lesson 13
The tied tāʾ — ة (and ى)
▶ 29 September
Lesson 14
"The," the sun and the moon — al-
▶ 2 October
Lesson 15
Murájaʿa — whole words
▶ 6 October
Lesson 16
The shadda — hold the letter (ـّ)
▶ 9 October
Lesson 17
The digits — ٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤ ٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩
▶ 13 October
Lesson 18
Three bones — the root ك-ت-ب
▶ 16 October
Lesson 19
Murájaʿa — read a sentence, write your name
▶ 20 October
Lesson 20
The door is open — everything, and what's next
▶ 23 OctoberLevel A1
Lesson 21
Hello and welcome
▶ 27 October
Lesson 22
My name is Sam
▶ 30 October
Lesson 23
This is a book
▶ 3 November
Lesson 24
A big boy, a big girl
▶ 6 November
Lesson 25
Murájaʿa: A morning at the café
▶ 10 November
Lesson 26
The moon and the sun
▶ 13 November
Lesson 27
The coffee is hot
▶ 17 November
Lesson 28
The door of the house
▶ 20 November
Lesson 29
My house and your house
▶ 24 November
Lesson 30
Murájaʿa: At Nour's house
▶ 27 November
Lesson 31
k-t-b: one set of bones
▶ 1 December
Lesson 32
Who? What? Where?
▶ 4 December
Lesson 33
I read, he writes
▶ 8 December
Lesson 34
How? How much? When? Why?
▶ 11 December
Lesson 35
Murájaʿa: Questions round the quarter
▶ 15 December
Lesson 36
One, two, three
▶ 18 December
Lesson 37
How much is this?
▶ 22 December
Lesson 38
Is there any bread?
▶ 25 December
Lesson 39
A heart, not a dog!
▶ 29 December
Lesson 40
Murájaʿa: A day at the souk
▶ 1 January
Lesson 41
The big house
▶ 5 January
Lesson 42
The Books
▶ 8 January
Lesson 43
A lesson, a school, he studies
▶ 12 January
Lesson 44
A red door
▶ 15 January
Lesson 45
Murájaʿa: The family-tree of roots
▶ 19 January
Lesson 46
Today and tomorrow
▶ 22 January
Lesson 47
The house is your house
▶ 26 January
Lesson 48
The people of the quarter
▶ 29 January
Lesson 49
Murájaʿa: A day in the Book Quarter
▶ 2 February
Lesson 50
Everything, and what's next
▶ 5 FebruaryMeet the neighbourhood
Hear them say hello
Salma the host and guide (narrates in English) Salma is your host and guide, the one voice in the quarter who speaks to you directly in English. Fully bilingual and completely…
Sam the English learner and viewer stand-in Sam is the 29-year-old Englishman who steps into the medina with one suitcase, a phone-dictionary he can't put down, and not a…
Ustadh Farid the calligrapher, bookseller and reading teacher Ustadh Farid is the quarter's old calligrapher and bookseller, silver-bearded and ink-fingered, a reed pen never far from his…
Umm Nadia the café owner (hospitality and warmth) Umm Nadia runs the little café where the whole quarter gathers, her brass coffee pot always warm. She carries the hospitality,…
Hajj Mahmoud the souk vendor (numbers and blunt speech) Hajj Mahmoud is the gruff, kind-hearted souk vendor behind a brass hand-scale and crates of spices and dates. He is where Sam…
Yasmin the university student (the modern, living voice) Yasmin is the 22-year-old university student who lives in her phone and reads the news at speed, the bridge between old Fusḥā and…
Sitti the grandmother (the soul of the language) Sitti is the quarter's beloved grandmother, small and deeply kind, prayer beads always in hand. She carries the soul of the…
Nour the seven-year-old (the simplest Arabic) Nour is the gap-toothed seven-year-old learning her letters on a wooden slate right beside Sam, and cheerfully, mercilessly…
How this course works
One medina, one story, one cast — from the shape of the letters to following Modern Standard Arabic spoken at a natural pace. Here is what an episode does, step by step.
One place you come to know
The course lives in one old quarter: the bookshop, the courtyard, Umm Nadia’s kitchen, Hajj Mahmoud’s shop. Sam arrives knowing nothing, Ustadh Farid teaches patiently, Sitti says everything twice. Because the cast returns, every episode starts on ground you already stand on.
The script, one honest step at a time
Level 0 is the alphabet, done properly: letters in their real shapes and positions, sun and moon letters, the sounds English simply doesn’t have — ع, ح, ق. Nothing is skipped and nothing is rushed, because everything after this depends on reading without guessing.
Comprehensible from the first minute
Scenes are set up in English, then the cast speaks Arabic you have been prepared for, at a real pace, with the situation carrying the new pieces. You always understand enough to follow — and the small part you don’t is exactly where the learning happens.
You speak, and you repeat
“Say it with me” beats stop and wait for you. Arabic pronunciation is muscle work: the emphatic letters, the long vowels, the difference between a heavy and a light consonant. You start making those shapes in episode one, not in year two.
Spaced review inside the story
Phrases come back on a schedule dressed up as plot, and every few lessons a review episode consolidates the unit in Arabic only. Grammar — the dual, the case endings, the broken plurals — arrives after you have already heard the pattern many times, so it names something you can already feel.
MSA, dialect, and this site
This course teaches Modern Standard Arabic: what is written, read, broadcast and understood everywhere — with honest notes where a Levantine or Egyptian speaker would say it differently. On each lesson page: full dialogue in text, every phrase on its own page, an Anki deck, and a ✓ to keep your place. Two lessons a week, Tuesdays and Fridays.
All phrases in this course · 37 Common traps for English speakers Download Anki deck New to Anki?
Full course curriculum
The course runs through 6 levels. New lessons every Tuesday and Friday — the full plan below includes episodes still in production.
Level pre-A1 · FABLINGO ARABIC — LEVEL 0
| Ep. | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| E01 | بابٌ مُقْفَل · A locked door — how Arabic works | ✓ |
| E02 | عائِلةُ السِّنّ · The tooth family — ب ت ث ن ي | ✓ |
| E03 | الحَرَكات · The vowel-marks — a, i, u and the sukūn | ✓ |
| E04 | عائِلةُ الحاء · The ḥ-family — ج ح خ | ✓ |
| E05 | مُراجَعة: أوّلُ الكَلِمات · Murájaʿa — the first wordsReview | ✓ |
| E06 | الحُروفُ الأُحادِيّة · The one-way letters — ا د ذ ر ز و | ✓ |
| E07 | الحُروفُ المُفَخَّمة · The heavy letters — س ش · ص ض · ط ظ | ✓ |
| E08 | حُروفُ الحَلْق · The throat letters — ع غ · ف ق · ك (and the heart/dog) | ✓ |
| E09 | آخِرُ الحُروف · The last letters — ل م ه (and "hello") | ✓ |
| E10 | مُراجَعة: الحُروفُ الثَّمانِيةُ والعِشْرون · Murájaʿa — all 28 lettersReview | ✓ |
| E11 | و ي: صَوتانِ لِكُلٍّ · Two jobs each — و and ي | ✓ |
| E12 | الهَمْزة · The hamza and its seats — ء أ إ ؤ ئ | ✓ |
| E13 | التاءُ المَرْبوطة · The tied tāʾ — ة (and ى) | planned |
| E14 | الـ والشَّمْس والقَمَر · "The," the sun and the moon — al- | planned |
| E15 | مُراجَعة: كَلِماتٌ كامِلة · Murájaʿa — whole wordsReview | planned |
| E16 | الشَّدّة · The shadda — hold the letter (ـّ) | planned |
| E17 | الأَرْقام · The digits — ٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤ ٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩ | planned |
| E18 | ثَلاثةُ عِظام · Three bones — the root ك-ت-ب | planned |
| E19 | مُراجَعة: اِقْرَأْ واكْتُبِ اسْمَك · Murájaʿa — read a sentence, write your nameReview | planned |
| E20 | البابُ مَفْتوح · The door is open — everything, and what's next | planned |
Level A1 · FABLINGO ARABIC — LEVEL 1
| Ep. | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| E21 | مَرْحَبًا وَأَهْلًا · Hello and welcome | planned |
| E22 | اسْمي سام · My name is Sam | planned |
| E23 | هٰذا كِتاب · This is a book | planned |
| E24 | وَلَدٌ كَبير، بِنْتٌ كَبيرة · A big boy, a big girl | planned |
| E25 | مُراجَعة: صَباح في المَقْهى · Murájaʿa: A morning at the caféReview | planned |
| E26 | القَمَر وَالشَّمْس · The moon and the sun | planned |
| E27 | القَهْوةُ ساخِنة · The coffee is hot | planned |
| E28 | بابُ البَيْت · The door of the house | planned |
| E29 | بَيْتي وَبَيْتُكَ · My house and your house | planned |
| E30 | مُراجَعة: في بَيْت نور · Murájaʿa: At Nour's houseReview | planned |
| E31 | ك-ت-ب: العَظْمُ الواحِد · k-t-b: one set of bones | planned |
| E32 | مَن؟ ما؟ أَيْنَ؟ · Who? What? Where? | planned |
| E33 | أنا أَقْرَأ، هُوَ يَكْتُب · I read, he writes | planned |
| E34 | كَيْفَ؟ كَمْ؟ مَتى؟ لِماذا؟ · How? How much? When? Why? | planned |
| E35 | مُراجَعة: أَسْئِلة في الحَيّ · Murájaʿa: Questions round the quarterReview | planned |
| E36 | واحِد، اثْنان، ثَلاثة · One, two, three | planned |
| E37 | بِكَمْ هٰذا؟ · How much is this? | planned |
| E38 | هُناكَ خُبْز؟ · Is there any bread? | planned |
| E39 | قَلْب لا كَلْب! · A heart, not a dog! | planned |
| E40 | مُراجَعة: يَوم في السّوق · Murájaʿa: A day at the soukReview | planned |
| E41 | البَيْتُ الكَبير · The big house | planned |
| E42 | الكُتُب · The Books | planned |
| E43 | دَرْس، مَدْرَسة، يَدْرُس · A lesson, a school, he studies | planned |
| E44 | بابٌ أَحْمَر · A red door | planned |
| E45 | مُراجَعة: شَجَرةُ الجُذور · Murájaʿa: The family-tree of rootsReview | planned |
| E46 | اليَوم وَغَدًا · Today and tomorrow | planned |
| E47 | البَيْتُ بَيْتُك · The house is your house | planned |
| E48 | أَهْلُ الحَيّ · The people of the quarter | planned |
| E49 | مُراجَعة: يَوم في حَيّ الكُتُب · Murájaʿa: A day in the Book QuarterReview | planned |
| E50 | كُلُّ شَيء، وَماذا بَعْد · Everything, and what's next | planned |
Level A2 · FABLINGO ARABIC — LEVEL 2 (A2) · بِناء الجُمَل · "Building Sentences — the past opens up, and words grow in families"
| Ep. | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| E02 | فَتَحَ جَدّي هٰذا الدُّكّان · My grandfather opened this stall | planned |
| E03 | أَذْكُرُ يَوْمَ وَصَلْتَ · I remember the day you came | planned |
| E04 | وَصَلْتُ إلى الحَيّ · I arrived in the quarter | planned |
| E05 | لَعِبَ الأَوْلادُ هُنا · The children played here | planned |
| E06 | مُراجَعة: يَوْمٌ مَضى · Murájaʿa — a day gone byReview | planned |
| E07 | ماذا تَفْعَلُ الآن؟ · What are you doing now? | planned |
| E08 | ثَلاثُ عِظامٍ واحِدة · One set of three bones | planned |
| E09 | الكِتابةُ فَنّ · Writing is an art | planned |
| E10 | كُلَّ صَباح · Every morning | planned |
| E11 | مُراجَعة: يَوْمُنا · Murájaʿa — our dayReview | planned |
| E12 | لا أَعْرِفُ السِّعْر · I don't know the price | planned |
| E13 | لَيْسَ الكِتابُ قَديمًا · The book is not old | planned |
| E14 | القَهْوةُ عَلى الطاوِلة · The coffee is on the table | planned |
| E15 | الوَلَدُ، الوَلَدَ, الوَلَدِ · The boy — three ways | planned |
| E16 | مُراجَعة: أَيْنَ الكِتاب؟ · Murájaʿa — where's the book?Review | planned |
| E17 | المُعَلِّمونَ هُنا · The teachers are here | planned |
| E18 | كِتاب... كُتُب! · A book... books! | planned |
| E19 | أَقْلامٌ وَأَسْواق · Pens and markets | planned |
| E20 | هٰذِهِ خالَتي · This is my aunt | planned |
| E21 | مُراجَعة: السّوقُ المُزدَحِم · Murájaʿa — the busy soukReview | planned |
| E22 | ثَلاثةُ كُتُب · Three books | planned |
| E23 | بِكَمْ؟ · How much? | planned |
| E24 | دار الكُتُب · House of Books | planned |
| E25 | أَوَّلُ كَلِمة · The first word | planned |
| E26 | مُراجَعة: قائِمةُ السّوق · Murájaʿa — the market listReview | planned |
| E27 | كانَ الحَيُّ هادِئًا · The quarter was quiet | planned |
| E28 | حِكايَتي · My story | planned |
| E29 | إعْلانٌ على الباب · A notice on the door | planned |
| E30 | مُراجَعة (شامِلة): يَوْمٌ في الحَيّ · Cumulative Murájaʿa — a day in the quarterReview | planned |
| E31 | مُراجَعةُ المُستوى وَالجِسْرُ إلى B1 · End-of-level review → the seam to L3 | planned |
Level B1 · FABLINGO ARABIC — LEVEL 3 · نَحْوَ الطَلاقة · Getting Fluent (B1)
| Ep. | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| E02 | دَرَسَ ثُمَّ دَرَّسَ · The verb forms open, with Ustadh Farid | planned |
| E03 | هٰذِهِ لافِتة: لِلبَيْع · Reading a real sign, with Yasmin | planned |
| E04 | اِجْتَمَعْنا وَاسْتَقْبَلْنا · More moulds — Forms VIII & X — with Farid & Yasmin | planned |
| E05 | الرَّجُلُ الَّذي كَتَبَ الإعْلان · Relative clauses, with Yasmin | planned |
| E06 | مُراجَعة: A notice at the shop · لافِتة عِنْدَ الدُّكّانReview | planned |
| E07 | حَيُّ الكُتُب جَمْعُ تَكْسير · Broken plurals mastered, with Farid | planned |
| E08 | كِتابانِ وَدينارانِ · The dual, with Ḥajj Mahmoud | planned |
| E09 | وَصَلْتُ فَقَرَأْتُ ثُمَّ فَهِمْت · Connectors, with Yasmin | planned |
| E10 | قالَتْ إِنَّها سَتَنْشُر · Captions & reported speech, with Yasmin | planned |
| E11 | مُراجَعة: The campaign page · صَفْحةُ الحَمْلةReview | planned |
| E12 | مَن يَفْعَل؟ مَن يُفْعَلُ بِهِ؟ · The cases, named at last, with Farid & Nour | planned |
| E13 | كانَتِ القَهْوةُ ساخِنةً · kāna & her sisters, with Umm Nadia | planned |
| E14 | إِنَّ الكِتابَ كَنْز · inna & her sisters, with Sitti | planned |
| E15 | قالَ إِنَّ الدُّكّانَ لِلبَيْع · Reported speech, relayed, with Yasmin | planned |
| E16 | مُراجَعة: The message that twisted · الرِّسالةُ الَّتي الْتَوَتReview | planned |
| E17 | أُريدُ المَطْبَخ، لا المَطْبوخ! · The wrong-wazn gag, with Umm Nadia | planned |
| E18 | اِقْرَأِ القائِمة · Reading a menu, with Umm Nadia & Farid | planned |
| E19 | أَظُنُّ أَنَّ في الحِسابِ خَطَأ · The first problem sorted himself, with Ḥajj Mahmoud | planned |
| E20 | عَمَل، لا أَمَل · The ʿayn vs the hamza, with Farid | planned |
| E21 | مُراجَعة: The souk, sorted out · السّوقُ، بَعْدَ الخَطَأReview | planned |
| E22 | لِلبَيْع، لِلإيجار، مَمْنوع · Reading the notices in full, with Yasmin & Farid | planned |
| E23 | في رَأْيي، لٰكِنَّ… · Opinion & argument, with Yasmin | planned |
| E24 | هٰذا سَهْل، يا سام · Feelings plainly & the explain-it-simply anchor, with Nour | planned |
| E25 | قَرَأَ سام الرِّسالةَ كامِلةً · A whole note read aloud, unvoweled, with Farid | planned |
| E26 | مُراجَعة: Reading the Quarter · نَقْرَأُ الحَيّReview | planned |
| E27 | بَيْتُ شِعْرٍ مِنَ الدّيوان · The dīwān yields a line, with Sitti & Farid | planned |
| E28 | تَفَضَّلوا، أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا · Hosting at the café, full B1, with Umm Nadia | planned |
| E29 | بِكَمِ الرَّطْلانِ؟ · The souk, full B1, with Ḥajj Mahmoud | planned |
| E30 | نَقْرَأُ الحَيَّ كُلَّهُ · The campaign converges — reading the world, with Yasmin & Farid | planned |
| E31 | مُراجَعة: From the souk to the table · مِنَ السّوقِ إلى المائِدةReview | planned |
| E32 | مُراجَعة شامِلة: A day in the Book Quarter · يَوْمٌ في حَيِّ الكُتُبReview | planned |
| E33 | Murájaʿa & a door to L4 · مُراجَعة وَبابٌ إلى المُستوى الرّابِع | planned |
Level B2 · FABLINGO ARABIC — LEVEL 4
| Ep. | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| E02 | الحُروفُ بِلا حَرَكات · Letters without their vowels | planned |
| E03 | القبعة الصغيرة · The little hat on the word | planned |
| E04 | لكل شكل ثلاثة وجوه · Every shape has three faces | planned |
| E05 | العنوان الأول · The first headline | planned |
| E06 | مراجعة: قرأتُ العنوان · Murājaʿa: I read the headlineReview | planned |
| E07 | مَن كتبه؟ لا نعرف · Who wrote it? We don't say | planned |
| E08 | من أين جُلبت؟ · Where were these brought from? | planned |
| E09 | القراءةُ نور · Reading is light | planned |
| E10 | كاتب لا مكتوب · A writer, not "written" | planned |
| E11 | مراجعة: كُتب ثم قُرئ · Murājaʿa: written, then readReview | planned |
| E12 | المفتاحُ يفتح · The key opens | planned |
| E13 | العنوان ثم الخبر · Headline, then the story | planned |
| E14 | اقرأ لنا الخبر · Read us the news | planned |
| E15 | صيفٌ لا سيف · Summer, not a sword | planned |
| E16 | مراجعة: سوقٌ وصحيفة · Murājaʿa: the stall and the paperReview | planned |
| E17 | إذا نزل المطر · If the rain comes | planned |
| E18 | لو قرأتُ مبكرًا · If only I'd read it sooner | planned |
| E19 | جاء مبتسمًا · He came in smiling | planned |
| E20 | أجملُ منظرًا · Finer to look at | planned |
| E21 | مراجعة: ضيفٌ وحساب · Murájaʿa: a guest and a reckoningReview | planned |
| E22 | أبو، أخو · Father-of, brother-of | planned |
| E23 | ممنوع من الصرف · The words that refuse the tail | planned |
| E24 | ما أطيب القهوة! · How good this coffee is! | planned |
| E25 | تجدر الإشارة · It is worth noting | planned |
| E26 | مراجعة: نراجع الرسالة · Murájaʿa: proofing the letterReview | planned |
| E27 | الكتبُ بساتينُ العقول · Books are the orchards of the mind | planned |
| E28 | نقرأ، إذن نبقى · We read, therefore we stay | planned |
| E29 | مَن كَسَره؟ لا نعرف · Who broke it? We don't know | planned |
| E30 | كان عليك أن تخبرني · You should have told me | planned |
| E31 | مراجعة: لو نظّمنا مبكرًا · Murájaʿa: if we'd planned earlierReview | planned |
| E32 | مراجعة شاملة: يومٌ في حيِّ الكتب · Cumulative Murájaʿa: a day in the Book QuarterReview | planned |
| E33 | اقرأ العالَم · Read the world · (End-of-Level Review) | planned |
Level C1 · FABLINGO ARABIC — LEVEL 5 · The Beautiful Language · *اللُّغة الجَميلة* (C1)
| Ep. | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| E02 | The Root of It All · أَصْلُ الحِكاية | planned |
| E03 | Three Temperatures · على ثلاثِ درجات | planned |
| E04 | A Book Is the Best Companion · الكِتابُ خَيْرُ جَليس | planned |
| E05 | Dear or Empty · غالٍ أم خالٍ | planned |
| E06 | Murājaʿa: The Poet at the Stall · الشاعرُ في السّوقReview | planned |
| E07 | A Guest on the Eye and the Head · ضَيفٌ على العينِ والرأس | planned |
| E08 | The Fine Hand of the Law · دِقّةُ القانون | planned |
| E09 | It Reads Itself · يقرأُ نفسَه | planned |
| E10 | A Reader, a Great Reader · قارئٌ، وقَرّاءٌ | planned |
| E11 | Murājaʿa: The Guest Who Read the News · الضيفُ الذي قرأ الخبرReview | planned |
| E12 | The Meaning Under the Words · المعنى تحت الكلام | planned |
| E13 | The Art of the Haggle · فنُّ المساوَمة | planned |
| E14 | And Now, the Feature · وأمّا التقرير | planned |
| E15 | Not Just Nice · ليس جميلاً فحسب | planned |
| E16 | Murājaʿa: The Two Readers · القارئانReview | planned |
| E17 | The Language Within the Language · لغةٌ داخلَ اللغة | planned |
| E18 | The Old Hand · الخطُّ القديم | planned |
| E19 | The Case I Build · الحُجّةُ التي أبنيها | planned |
| E20 | A Blunt, Honest Word · كلمةٌ صريحةٌ | planned |
| E21 | Murājaʿa: An Evening of Sayings · أمسيةُ الأمثالReview | planned |
| E22 | The Poem in Praise of the Quarter · القصيدةُ في مديحِ الحيّ | planned |
| E23 | In Other Words · بعبارةٍ أخرى | planned |
| E24 | The Heart with a Qāf · القلبُ بالقاف | planned |
| E25 | Strength in Union · في الاتحادِ قوّة | planned |
| E26 | Murājaʿa: The Slate Wiped Clean · تصفيةُ الدفترReview | planned |
| E27 | Black and White · بالخطِّ الواضح | planned |
| E28 | Read It Once More · اقرأها مرّةً أخرى | planned |
| E29 | The Sound of Your Own Voice · صوتُك أنت | planned |
| E30 | Murājaʿa (cumulative): The Book Festival · مَهْرَجانُ الكِتابReview | planned |
| E31 | A Reader of the Quarter · قارئٌ من الحيّ | planned |
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