Marhaba!
This post is all about animated cartoon shows in Jordanian & Palestinian Arabic.
While I watch more drama series than animated cartoon shows, the latter is also a good way to gain exposure to the language and pick up some vocabulary.
And just cause they are animated cartoon shows, it does not necessarily mean that they are beginner-friendly.
But if you were to ask me to recommend one show, it would definitely be number #3 on the list.
Read on and let me know your favourite!
Jordanian Productions:
#1: Abu Mahboob
About:
The show tackles social and political issues in the Jordanian society in a light-hearted manner through the life of Abu Mahjoob and his family.
#2: Nafat 3alayna:
About:
The show follows the life of Abu Raed’s family and provides an entertaining account of their daily lives.
#3: Rajaee Kaen FaDhaee
About:
The show pokes fun at the typical behaviours and mindsets of the people in the Jordanian society through the character named Rajaee.
Rajaee is a famous Jordanian actor and in this show, he is portrayed as someone with good intentions but always misunderstood by society.
#4: Rajaee Kaen 3idaaee
About:
The concept of this show is the same as show #3. However this time around, the show portrays Rajaee as the villain.
*The channel did not create a separate playlist for this show. So simply scroll through its video section to find the videos.
#5: Som3a Abu Saqer
About:
Abu Saqer is a character that represents the everyday normal man in the Jordanian society. The show depicts Abu Saqer’s struggles as he deals with the obstacles he comes across in everyday life.
*There are 2 main Youtube channels which feature videos of this show -“Som2a Show” and “Takarub”.
#6: 3andi 2isah
About:
This show contains a total of 5 clips. The show is part of a larger programme to tackle the issue of gender inequality and oppression that women face in society.
*This show does not has a Youtube playlist of its own. Watch an episode and check out the rest via the sidebar.
#7: 3ala Rasi
ABOUT:
The show transforms everyday real-life situations faced by Jordanian society into comedy.
Palestinian Productions:
#8: Hayat 3aleytna
About:
The show seeks to encourage healthy communication between parents and children in order to build a strong and happy family.
#9: Hajjeh Wasfiyeh
About:
The show tackles everyday matters through the eyes and opinions of an elderly lady named Hajeh Wasfiyeh.
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Do you know of any more shows that are not listed here? Just let me know and I’ll add them to the list.
Happy watching and learning!
Take care and I’ll see you around in the hosh,
Lyn
P.S. Drop a comment if you know of any animated cartoon shows in Syrian and Lebanese Arabic! I would love to create a similar list.
P.S.S Like this list? Do me a huge favour and hit the share buttons, will ya? Also, do subscribe if you haven’t already 🙂
Sam
Hello Lyn!
I’m an American currently living in Germany. I’m about to graduate from an intensive C1 course in German (woo!), and then would like to start learning some Arabic. Due to the large number of Syrians living in Germany, I think I’d like to learn the Syrian dialect, which I’ve heard is similar to the Jordanian and Palestinian dialects. I think watching shows like these would be a great help, but it would probably take a while before I could understand them without lots of aid. Do you know if it’s possible to find these shows with subtitles (in the original language)? That way I could watch episodes piece-by-piece and learn the dialogs. Thanks for all your hard work!
Lyn
Hi Sam,
Thanks for your comment! That’s awesome – I studied German up till A2 during my undergraduate years but I’ve forgotten everything haha
Anyhoo, there’s a website called Playaling.com where they upload videos in Levantine Arabic along with Arabic subtitles. Most of them are probably in Jordanian Arabic but you can try to find for Syrian shows.
Unfortunately, most shows I know of only come with English subtitles and not Arabic subtitles. However, if you want to learn how to form simple sentences first, check out a youtube channel called “learn Levantine Arabic” which is beginner friendly.
I think I have a resource for learning Syrian Arabic for beginners (not shows). Just drop me an email at thelevantongue@gmail.com and I can pass it to you.
Cheers
Lyn
Maryyam
I’ve been fruitlessly seaching the internet for Shami cartoons to improve my Arabic. Thanks to your article I found the cartoon, Hayat 3aleytna. The videos have English captions, which is a lifesaver. Please post more Shami shows with English captions.