Face-to-face
Sudanese Arabic interpreters on site for appointments, hearings and meetings.
Arabic dialects · dialect
Sudanese Arabic interpreting and translation
Sudanese Arabic is the most widely spoken language of Sudan and a common language for people of many different backgrounds. We match interpreters to the client's region and first language.
In its own words
عربي سوداني
- Script
- Arabic
- Direction
- Right to left
- ISO 639-3
apd
Sudanese Arabic is spoken across central and northern Sudan, with the speech of Khartoum and Omdurman acting as a widely understood norm. It is also a second language for many Sudanese whose first language is, for example, Beja, Nubian, Fur, Masalit, Zaghawa or one of the many languages of the Nuba Mountains. Related varieties are spoken in eastern Chad and among Sudanese communities in Egypt and the Gulf.
Sudanese Arabic has its own pronunciation, vocabulary and expressions and is recognisably different from Egyptian Arabic, though there is some overlap. In Darfur and Kordofan, Baggara-type Arabic, related to Chadian Arabic, is spoken. In South Sudan, Juba Arabic, a separate Arabic-based contact language, is widely used. It is not the same as Sudanese Arabic.
- Main areas: Sudan
- Also used: South Sudan
Communities abroad are not shown. Point to an area to see its name.
How we help
Sudanese 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 Sudanese Arabic translation accepted by UK authorities.
SILA Linguists®
Sudanese Arabic interpreters, translation and LADO from SILA Linguists®
Sudanese Arabic is spoken across central and northern Sudan, with the speech of Khartoum and Omdurman as the widely understood norm, and it is a second language for many Sudanese whose first language is Beja, Nubian, Fur, Masalit, Zaghawa or a language of the Nuba Mountains. SILA Linguists® provides Sudanese Arabic interpreters, translators and transcribers to asylum services, courts, health and mental health teams and humanitarian organisations in Britain, Ireland, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Before booking, we ask where the client is from and what their first language is.
Sudanese Arabic interpreting with the right background
Sudanese Arabic is recognisably different from Egyptian Arabic, so for asylum, court and mental health work we book an interpreter from Sudan rather than from Egypt or the Levant. People from Darfur, the Nuba Mountains or the east may be more comfortable in their own language, and people from South Sudan may need Juba Arabic, which is a separate contact language. We check and advise.
Face-to-face Sudanese Arabic interpreting supports substantive asylum interviews, appeals, legal advice sessions, GP and hospital visits, trauma therapy and resettlement casework. When something urgent comes up after hours, our phone interpreters are available, and planned sessions can take place by video on the SILA Linguists® app or the platform you use. Same-gender interpreters may be requested for healthcare and sensitive interviews, and we arrange them whenever asked.
Sudanese documents and certified translation
Official documents from Sudan are in Modern Standard Arabic, sometimes with English. We translate national ID records, birth and marriage certificates, school and university certificates, court documents and medical reports. Sudanese names can be transliterated in several ways, so we follow the spelling already used in the person's passport or Home Office records.
A certified Sudanese translation from us is signed and dated as a complete and accurate rendering, accepted by UK authorities such as immigration caseworkers, tribunals and universities, and by employers. Into Arabic, we prepare health information, resettlement guidance and humanitarian programme material.
Transcription and LADO for Sudanese speakers
Recorded interviews, voice messages and video evidence are transcribed in Sudanese Arabic with timings, alongside an English version, and our transcribers flag passages in other Sudanese languages. Where nationality or region of origin is disputed, SILA Linguists® can arrange LADO and nationality assessment, drawing on analysts who can distinguish Sudanese Arabic from Chadian, Egyptian or South Sudanese speech.
Where we can help in Sudanese Arabic
Our vetted, trained and qualified Sudanese Arabic linguists can support asylum and immigration services, healthcare and mental health providers, courts and legal advisers, and humanitarian and resettlement programmes. You have one coordinating team. Interpreters and translators work under non-disclosure agreements, and data is handled according to UK GDPR.
Good to know
Working with Sudanese Arabic
Interpreting
- Ask the client where they are from and what their first language is. A Sudanese Arabic interpreter is usually suitable, but some people from Darfur, the Nuba Mountains or the east may be more comfortable in their own language. People from South Sudan may need Juba Arabic or another South Sudanese language.
- For asylum, court and mental health work, an interpreter from Sudan is preferable to one from Egypt or the Levant.
- Same-gender interpreters may be requested for healthcare and sensitive interviews.
- For Sudanese Arabic we offer face-to-face, video and telephone interpreting, as well as LADO for Sudanese speakers.
Translation
- Official documents from Sudan are in Modern Standard Arabic, sometimes with English. We provide certified translations of Sudanese national ID records, birth certificates, academic certificates and court documents, accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office, tribunals, courts and universities, and by international bodies.
- Sudanese names can be transliterated in several ways, and we follow the spelling already used in the person's passport or Home Office records.
Related languages
Sudanese 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 Sudanese Arabic is often needed
- Asylum and immigration
- LADO and nationality assessment
- Healthcare and mental health
- Courts and legal advice
- Humanitarian and resettlement programmes
Explore more arabic dialects or see all languages A to Z.
Get in touch
Need a Sudanese 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.