Face-to-face
Egyptian Arabic interpreters on site for appointments, hearings and meetings.
Arabic dialects · dialect
Egyptian Arabic interpreting and translation
Egyptian Arabic is the everyday language of Egypt and the most widely understood spoken Arabic variety, thanks to Egyptian film, television and music. We provide interpreters, translators and subtitlers.
In its own words
مصري
- Script
- Arabic
- Direction
- Right to left
- ISO 639-3
arz
Egyptian Arabic, or Masri, is spoken by most of Egypt's population. The standard colloquial form is that of Cairo and the Nile Delta. Upper Egypt (the south) has its own variety, Saʿidi Arabic, which is often treated separately, and Bedouin varieties are spoken in Sinai and the Western Desert.
Because of Egypt's long-standing media industry, many Arabic speakers across the region understand Cairene Arabic, even if they do not speak it. That makes it a useful choice for some media and marketing work, but it is not a substitute for the client's own dialect in interpreting.
Egyptian Arabic has distinctive pronunciation: for example, the letter ج is pronounced as a hard g in Cairo, and ق often as a glottal stop. It also has its own vocabulary and grammar, such as the negation pattern ma...sh.
- Main areas: Egypt
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How we help
Egyptian Arabic services
Video (VRI)
Secure video interpreting when people are in different places.
Telephone, 24/7
Telephone interpreting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Certified translation
Certified Egyptian Arabic translation accepted by UK authorities.
SILA Linguists®
Egyptian Arabic interpreting, translation and subtitling with SILA Linguists®
Egyptian Arabic, or Masri, is spoken by most of Egypt's population, and thanks to Egypt's film and television industry it is understood by Arabic speakers across the region. SILA Linguists® provides Egyptian Arabic interpreters, translators, transcribers and subtitlers to investors, law firms, hospitals, universities, broadcasters and immigration services in Britain, North America, Australia, New Zealand and the Gulf. Cairene speech from the capital and the Delta differs from Saʿidi Arabic in Upper Egypt and from Bedouin speech in Sinai, so we ask where the person grew up.
Egyptian Arabic interpreters for business, law and health
For Egyptian clients, an Egyptian interpreter is the natural choice. Conversation in Egypt is rich in politeness and religious formulas, and our interpreters convey the intended meaning while keeping the formality right, whether the setting is an investment meeting or a cardiology clinic. Egypt is also home to Nubian and Siwi speakers, and we can advise if a client may prefer another language.
We provide face-to-face Egyptian Arabic interpreting at board meetings, depositions, court hearings, hospital consultations and university admissions interviews; telephone interpreting that is staffed at every hour; and video calls through the SILA Linguists® app or your own meeting platform. Conferences and business events can be covered by consecutive, simultaneous and remote simultaneous interpreters.
Translation and certified translation of Egyptian documents
Official Egyptian documents are written in Modern Standard Arabic. We translate birth and marriage certificates, national ID cards, court rulings, academic certificates, commercial registrations and contracts, and when certification is needed we sign and date a declaration of accuracy, accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office and the courts, and by universities and employers.
Translation into Egyptian Arabic itself is used for advertising, social media, public health campaigns and customer communications aimed at Egyptian audiences. Spelling of colloquial Arabic varies, so we agree conventions with you, and we localise websites and apps for brands entering the Egyptian market.
Subtitling, transcription and LADO
Masri is the language of much Arabic film and television. We subtitle Egyptian Arabic film, television, documentaries and online video into English, and English content into Egyptian Arabic, with careful timing and reading speeds. We also transcribe Egyptian Arabic interviews, recordings and evidence, time-coding each line and producing a parallel English version. Where origin is disputed in an immigration case, SILA Linguists® can arrange language analysis (LADO).
Where we can help in Egyptian Arabic
Our vetted, trained and qualified Egyptian Arabic linguists can support business and investment, courts and solicitors, healthcare providers, media and film production, education and admissions, and immigration services. A single team takes your Egyptian Arabic request from booking to delivery. Every linguist is bound by a non-disclosure agreement, and data is processed in line with UK GDPR.
Good to know
Working with Egyptian Arabic
Interpreting
- For Egyptian clients, an Egyptian interpreter is the natural choice. Tell us if the person is from Upper Egypt, as Saʿidi speech differs from Cairene.
- Egyptians tend to use many politeness and religious formulas in conversation. Interpreters convey the intended meaning while keeping the formality right.
- Egyptian Arabic interpreting is available face to face, by video and by telephone, and for business meetings and conferences.
- Egypt also has Nubian and Siwi (Berber) communities, as well as many Sudanese and other refugees. A person who has lived in Egypt is not necessarily an Egyptian Arabic speaker, so confirm the person's own language and background before booking.
Translation
- Official documents from Egypt are in Modern Standard Arabic. We provide certified translations of birth and marriage certificates, national ID cards, court rulings, academic certificates and commercial documents, accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office, courts and universities, and by international bodies.
- Translation into Egyptian Arabic itself is used for subtitling, advertising, social media and public health campaigns aimed at Egyptian audiences. Spelling of colloquial Arabic varies, so we agree conventions in advance.
- Egyptian documents may use Eastern Arabic numerals and Hijri as well as Gregorian dates. We preserve both where needed.
Related languages
Egyptian Arabic and its neighbours
Choose a language to see its page. Getting the right variety matters: tell us the region or dialect if you know it.
Where Egyptian Arabic is often needed
- Business and investment
- Courts and solicitors
- Healthcare
- Media, film and subtitling
- Education and admissions
- Immigration
Explore more arabic dialects or see all languages A to Z.
Get in touch
Need a Egyptian Arabic interpreter or translator?
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.