Marhaba!
There are tons and tons of Syrian drama series out there. This post aims to narrow down a few to help you get started.
These are some of the shows that I’ve personally watched (not all episodes tho, I can never finish a season before checking out another series 😅).
The shows I’ve chosen are my recommended ones for beginners who have already know the basics but are looking to watch drama series to improve on listening comprehension and pick up new vocab in the process.
They are the ones that I found to be considerably easier to follow and understand amongst the existing ocean of Syrian drama series due to the clarity and speed of the actors’ speech.
Note that these are shows without subtitles. The objective is not really to understand every single word but to develop your listening skills as you follow along the storyline.
P.S. Bab al Hara is definitely NOT on this list 🙃
#01: أيام الدراسة (School days)
ABOUT:
This series revolves around the lives of a group of students and showcases their dreams, aspirations and the problems they face as adolescents.
I personally have an attachment for any shows that revolve around school life. There’s just something nostalgic about watching them.
#02: الفصول الأربعة (The four seasons)
ABOUT:
This series revolves around the daily lives of a large family network. Each episode deals with an issue that affects the family relations and shows how the family members come together to deal with it.
This is one of the more popular older shows. I find some of the episodes boring but a good choice for beginners since the actors do not speak very fast.
#03: صرخة روح (Cry of the soul)
ABOUT:
This show revolves around the topic of marital infidelity. There are four seasons and each season contains a series of stories where a new storyline is introduced after every five episodes.
Since the show revolves around one main topic, you’ll be able to hear a lot of the same classic phrases being repeated across the different stories.
Despite the topic itself, I actually enjoyed watching the first few stories from the first season. Beyond that, the show gets boring due to the predictable storyline.
#04: نزار قباني (Nizar Qabbani)
ABOUT:
This is a show based on the biography of the great Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani.
I remembered telling my Syrian friend that I was watching this show only to be told that it was not a popular show and was considered a failed show by Syrians 😲
Although there are some parts that are rather slow, I still enjoyed watching the show and learning about the poet’s life.
#05: اشواك ناعمة (Soft thorns)
ABOUT:
This show revolves around the school and personal lives of a group of female students.
If you prefer watching with English subtitles, there’s a channel that took snippets from this show and added English subtitles to them. Below is one of the video from the channel.
#06: أهل الغرام (People of love)
ABOUT:
The series revolves around the love stories of young adults and the obstacles they face to further their relationships due to various circumstances such as social and religious.
This is another show that I found easy to catch what the actors are saying due to the clarity and simplicity of speech – thus a great choice for beginners.
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That’s it, folks!
I hope you find this list useful. There are definitely more than just these six…but if you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of existing Syrian drama series, then simply choose one from the list and go on from there.
As you can see, I’ve listed older shows than the more recent ones…I guess they don’t make ’em like they used to.
If you’re still having trouble choosing one, I recommend starting with either #3 or #6.
Keep a lookout for another list of Syrian shows for intermediate learners and beyond. I’ll be posting it real soon.
Also, there’s no need to feel compelled to finish watching a season. Keep a notebook by your side and watch each episode with the intention of learning some new phrases.
Last but not least, don’t forget to comment and let me know your favourite Syrian show!
Or are you like me who tends to skip to the next show without ever completing a season?! 😬
Take care and I’ll see you around in the hosh,
Lyn
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