What Languages are Spoken in Lebanon?

Where is Lebanon?

The Lebanese live in Lebanon, a Middle Eastern country in the region of West Asia. It’s bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the West, with a coastline of 124 miles (200 kilometers). It’s a small country with a surface area of only about 4,035 square miles (10,452 square kilometers). Despite its size, its varied geography and mountains make a unique place to visit.

With a population of around 6 million Lebanese, Lebanon is densely populated. The country shares land borders with Syria to the North and the East, as well as with Israel to the South. Lebanon also isn’t far from Europe, which is just on the other side of the Mediterranean. Its location makes Lebanon a strategic meeting point between the East and the West, which has left a considerable linguistic and cultural imprint on the country. Let’s see how this linguistic diversity is reflected Lebanese heritage.

Is Lebanese a Language?

“Lebanese” isn’t actually a language, but a dialect. The Lebanese dialect, also called “Lebanese vernacular,” belongs to a family of Levantine Arabic dialects. It is spoken in multiple countries within the region, including Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. It’s distinct from other dialects because of its unique characteristics with grammar, region-specific vocabulary, and pronunciation.

That being said, it’s important to highlight that the Lebanese dialect is a subset within the Arabic language. It shares the same roots and fundamental grammatical structures with Standard Arabic. Because of this, native speakers of the Lebanese dialect can generally understand and communicate with native speakers of other Levantine dialects without too much difficulty.

In short, even though the Lebanese dialect has characteristics that distinguish it from other Arabic dialects, it’s still tied to Standard Arabic, and it isn’t an altogether separate language.

Check out this video by Learn Spoken Levantine Lebanese Arabic, to get started on learning Lebanese vocabulary. This channel reviews Lebanese vocabulary by category, so if you’re looking at a comprehensive place to find Lebanese vocabulary, here’s the channel for you.

What is Lebanon’s Official Language?

In Lebanon, the official language is Modern Standard Arabic or Fusha. This is the same Arabic we teach at MosaLingua. This Arabic is shared by many other Arabic-speaking countries. It’s taught in schools, used by the government, and also found in literature (notably the Quran), in media, etc.

Regional Dialects

On top of the Lebanese dialect, which is the primary language spoken by the Lebanese people, you can also find dialects that are unique to certain regions of Lebanon. For example, in the South of Lebanon, in the Chouf region, the locals speak the Chouf dialect.

The Beqaa Valley, in the East part of Lebanon, also has regional influences: Syrian Arabic is predominant there since this region is close to Syria. We can also find dialects that are closer to Iraqi Arabic, since Iraq is also very close by.

In the North of Lebanon, you’ll find Kurmanji being used, which is one of the main languages spoken in Turkey and Iraq. In recent years, due to conflicts in Syria, many people have fled to Lebanon, bringing Kurmanji with them, which was previously spoken in Southeast Turkey and North Iraq.

It’s entirely possible that you’ll discover a variety of Arabic dialects if you visit different regions of Lebanon.

Trilingualism in Lebanon

Just look at the Lebanese expression used to say hello, and you’ll quickly understand the linguistic situation in Lebanon: “Hi, kayfak? ça va ?” This sentence is a mix of the three primary languages spoken in Lebanon: Arabic, French, and English. Almost like a “fr-engl-abic,” it works as a mixture of three different languages that native speakers merge into one singular language!

Are all three of these considered official languages in Lebanon? What is their history and their current status? Keep reading and we’ll tell you everything!

French Influence on Lebanon

Spoken French in Lebanon takes up a particularly significant place on its linguistic and cultural backdrop. It is history goes back to the era of French domination of the Levantine region, which began at the end of World War 1 and held until Lebanese Independence in 1943. This colonial period left a long-lasting mark on the country, with the introduction of the French language into the education system, the government, and Lebanese culture. Just look at the Lebanese flag during the French Mandate from 1920 to 1943:

In today’s education system, French remains a compulsory school language in most schools, making it the most taught foreign language in Lebanon. From elementary school to high school, the majority of classes are taught in French. This results in a large portion of the population speaking the language. Between 40% to 50% of Lebanese people are also French speakers.

For that reason, Lebanon is a member of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), reinforcing its commitment to promoting the French language and francophone values. At the OIF summit at Montreux in October 2010, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman personally signed the linguistic agreement that ties Lebanon to the OIF.

You can find many traces of French in daily Lebanese life. The cover of the Lebanese passport is in Arabic and French, for example. Signs and banknotes are also written in both languages. Even license plates bare an odd resemblance to French license plates, with the famous little band of blue on the left side. And while French is in competition with other languages, it holds an important role in Lebanese culture (literature, movies, music, media, etc.). Check out this video by Uptin which perfectly illustrates the prevalence of French is in Lebanon.

The Presence of English

And as always, English is present to compete with the other languages spoken in the region.

From a historical lens, the presence of English in Lebanon is also connected back to the colonial period. While the French influence was larger back in the day, English could still be found in daily life. And in the same way as French, English was everywhere. In the stores, on signs, on the radio, on t.v., etc. English is now in third place for the most commonly spoken languages in Lebanon, with about 30% of Lebanese people speaking English. But could that all be changing soon?

In Lebanon today, English is obligatory in school, just like French. While French is the most commonly taught foreign language from elementary school to high school, English is gaining ground at universities. English is thought to be more modern than French and more “useful” in international communication. Students prefer English because it is connected to more professional opportunities than French on an international scale. English is a real professional and economic asset. It’s exactly for that reason that English has won in popularity over the last several years and why its numbers are growing.

In short, English has become important for the Lebanese people to open doors to a bright professional future and to the world as a whole. English as a foreign language in Lebanon is expected to continue to grow in the near future.

Religious Languages

In addition to Arabic, French, and English, the Lebanese people often speak other languages in relation to their religious affiliations. For example, Lebanese Christians tend to speak Aramaic, Syriac, and Armenian while Lebanese Muslims generally speak Arabic. This linguistic diversity is a reflection of religious plurality in Lebanon.

Some Traveling Vocabulary

Here are some words that will be very helpful for your next trip to Lebanon.

For More Information

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