Mango Languages is the course a lot of people try first, for a simple reason: their library already pays for it. If you're learning Egyptian Arabic, the good news is that Mango treats Egyptian as its own course. It sits apart from Mango's Modern Standard Arabic course, and the two teach different everyday words, so pick the Egyptian one by name.
We make Bel Masri, so we're a competitor here. We've tried to describe Mango fairly and kept to things that don't change much from month to month. Features and pricing get updated, so check Mango's site for the current details.
How a Mango lesson works
Mango builds each lesson around a short conversation. You hear the whole exchange, and then the lesson takes it apart one phrase at a time. Each piece gets repeated, and you're asked to recall it a bit later. Words in the Arabic line are colour-matched to their English meaning, which helps you see where each word lands in a sentence that's built differently from English.
Along the way you'll get two kinds of notes. Grammar notes explain why a sentence looks the way it does. Culture notes explain when and with whom you'd say it. There's also a recording feature: you say the phrase and compare your attempt with the speaker's.
Lessons are short and structured. You always know where you are in a unit and what comes next.
What it does well
Structure. Some learners need a clear path, one lesson after another, with no guessing about what to study next. Mango gives you that. It's a comfortable place to spend your first few weeks.
Library access. This is Mango's biggest advantage for most people. If your library offers it, you can work through the Egyptian course without paying anything. That makes it an easy way to find out whether you enjoy Egyptian before you spend money on it.
Explanations. The grammar and culture notes are the part we'd point a friend to. Egyptian has habits that surprise English speakers. There's no word for "is" in a sentence like "the flat is nice", and plenty of phrases change depending on whether you're talking to a man or a woman. Notes like Mango's are there for exactly this. Compare , "How are you, Karim?", with , "Hi Nour, how are you?" Same question. One vowel at the end changes depending on who you're asking.
Where it falls short
Speaking practice is light. You do repeat phrases, but much of a Mango lesson is listening, reading and recalling in your head. Compared with a course that makes you answer out loud every few seconds, you'll speak less. If being understood in Cairo is the goal, you'll need to add more out-loud practice somewhere.
The Egyptian course doesn't go very deep. Mango's courses for its most popular languages run much longer than its Egyptian one. You'll get a good grounding in greetings, getting around and basic conversation. After that you'll want a second resource with more material.
The voice comparison is basic. Recording yourself and playing it back next to a speaker is useful, and it's better than nothing. It won't tell you what you got wrong, though. For the sounds that trip English speakers up, like the throaty 3 in (bread) or the 7 in (nice), you'll need sharper feedback from a tutor or a lot of careful listening.
The Egyptian you should be hearing
Whatever course you choose, check it against real Cairo speech. These three are from our A1 course, and they're the kind of sentence you should understand by ear after a few weeks with Mango or with us.
- Lost and asked for directions: , "I don't know, I'm not from here."
- When a price makes you wince: , "That's expensive! A hundred pounds?"
- When a friend moves house: , "Congratulations on the new flat!"
Notice the g in gineeh and gideeda, and the catch in the throat in sha''a. That's how Cairo says ج and ق, and our guide to the Egyptian q and g explains both.
Mango next to Bel Masri
One comparison, kept short. Bel Masri is a daily app with short lessons, and every word sits in Arabic script beside a simple Latin spelling, so reading comes along with speaking. Every word and sentence has audio, voiced in Cairene Egyptian and checked by a speaker. It's on Android now with iPhone next, and it's free to try.
Mango's notes are good on the why, and free library access is hard to argue with. We put our effort into practice: around 60 Egyptian sentences in each unit, all with audio, and the script in view the whole time. If your library has Mango, there's no reason not to use both.
Who it suits
Mango's Egyptian course is a good fit if you like structured lessons with explanations, or if you have a library card and want to try Egyptian without paying. It's also a gentle start for anyone nervous about a new script and a new grammar at once.
It's a weaker fit if your main goal is speaking soon, or if you already know some Arabic and want depth. For more options, see the best app to learn Egyptian Arabic, or read our Pimsleur Egyptian Arabic review if you're weighing the two.
Common questions
Does Mango Languages have Egyptian Arabic? Yes. Mango has an Egyptian Arabic course that's separate from its Modern Standard Arabic one. Pick the Egyptian course by name, since the two teach different everyday words.
Can I get Mango Languages for free? Often, yes. Many public libraries give their members free access to Mango. Check your library's website or ask at the desk before you pay for a subscription.
Is Mango enough to learn to speak Egyptian Arabic? It's a good first step, but on its own it won't get you talking comfortably. The speaking practice is light, so add an audio course, a tutor or a lot of out-loud practice.