Languages of Chad Learn about Chadian Arabic and French in Chad

Learn a bit of Chadian Arabic with our Chadian Arabic video lessons. Topics cover a variety of dialectal issues, with an emphasis on the Modern Standard Arabic context. Pick a video below or visit the Chadian Arabic videos section.

Chadian Arabic lesson 1
Interrogatives
Chadian Arabic Lesson 1
Chadian Arabic lesson 2
Personal Pronouns
Chadian Arabic Lesson 2
Chadian Arabic lesson 3
Pronunciation
Chadian Arabic Lesson 3
Chadian Arabic lesson 4
Demonstratives
Chadian Arabic Lesson 4

Chadian Arabic and French The two official languages of Chad

Chad hosts a myriad of different languages

- over 120 according to the CIA Factbook. The most commonly spoken language in Chad is Arabic, which shares the status of official language with French.
Languages of Chad

The languages of Chad give insight into the history of the nation, with French

colonization (and great influence persisting to this day) resulting in a more elite class of French speakers, and Arab arrivals as far back as the fourteenth century resulting in Arabic dominance. Many people in Chad speak their native language in addition to Arabic, and it is often used for trade. There are different dialects of Arabic within Chad, but they have never been thoroughly documented.

For a thorough introduction to the Chadian dialect,

we recommend Samir Abu Absi's works on "Chadian Arabic." We at Chad NOW believe Abu Absi to be the best-written source for studying the spoken Arabic of Chad. If you are serious about learning Chadian Arabic, you probably need to learn formal (modern standard) Arabic first. We would recommend in-depth academic courses in the language.

Other Chad Pages