Below I’ll give you my selections for the best Arabic books by a few categories. I will cover these and other great books more in depth later.
- Arabic Course for English Speaking Students – Madina Islamic University 3 Volumes Set (2005)
- Arabic Stories for Language Learners: Traditional Middle Eastern Tales In Arabic and English (Audio CD Included) (2013)
- The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read & Write It (2000)
- Mastering Arabic 1 with 2 Audio CDs, Third Edition (2015)
- Alif Baa: Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds [With DVD] (2010)
- Arabic from the Beginning: Part One (2013)
- Arabic-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary (DK Bilingual Visual Dictionaries) (2017)
- Mastering Arabic 1 Activity Book, Second Edition (2015)
- Your First 100 Words in Arabic : Beginner’s Quick & Easy Guide to Demystifying Non-Roman Scripts (1999)
- The Toddler’s Handbook: Bilingual (English / Arabic) (الإنجليزية العربية) Numbers, Colors, Shapes, Sizes, ABC Animals, Opposites, and Sounds, with … Children’s Learning Books (Arabic Edition) (2017)
- Easy Arabic Grammar (2005)
- Arabic Through the Qur’an (Islamic Texts Society) (2005)
- Merriam-Webster’s Arabic-English Dictionary, newest edition, mass-market paperback (English and Arabic Edition) (2010)
- Essential Skills in Arabic: From Intermediate to Advanced (2018)
Arabic Course for English Speaking Students – Madina Islamic University 3 Volumes Set (2005)
A tried and tested course over 40 years with proven track record of success, it is ideal in terms of the the topics covered and short time taken to learn. It is suitable for schools and colleges in the UK and other Western English speaking countries.
Arabic Stories for Language Learners: Traditional Middle Eastern Tales In Arabic and English (Audio CD Included) (2013)
The traditional stories of a country are invaluable at providing insight into understanding the culture, history and language of a people. A great way to learn Arabic, the sixty-six stories found in Arabic Stories for Language Learners present the vocabulary and grammar used every day in Arabic-speaking countries.
The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read & Write It (2000)
Ever larger numbers of people are starting to learn Arabic, while even more have some contact with the Arab world. Anyone who wishes to learn the language faces a hitherto formidable initial problem: the alphabet. This book proceeds step by step through all the letters of the Arabic alphabet, showing the sounds they stand for and how they are combined into words. Nothing essential is left out, but no unnecessary complications are added.
Mastering Arabic 1 with 2 Audio CDs, Third Edition (2015)
This hugely successful beginner’s course offers modern, engaging Modern Standard Arabic lessons through lively dialogues, varied exercises and fascinating cultural insights. This is the only user-friendly, accessible beginner level course on the market accompanied by audio CDs with native Arabic speakers. It suits an incredibly diverse learner base–self-study, through community college and school, to university primer/first year course.
Alif Baa: Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds [With DVD] (2010)
The best-selling Alif Baa is the first volume of the Al-Kitaab Arabic language program and is now available in a new third edition. In this new version of the introduction to Arabic letters and sounds, English-speaking students will find an innovative integration of colloquial and formal (spoken and written) Arabic.
Arabic from the Beginning: Part One (2013)
Arabic from the Beginning: Part One
Arabic-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary (DK Bilingual Visual Dictionaries) (2017)
Now comes with a companion audio app that allows readers to scan the pages to hear words spoken in both Arabic and English.Newly revised and updated, the Arabic–English Bilingual Visual Dictionary is a quick and intuitive way to learn and recall everyday words in Arabic.Introducing a range of useful current vocabulary in thematic order, this dictionary uses full-color photographs and artworks to display and label all the elements of everyday life—from the home and office to sport, mu…
Mastering Arabic 1 Activity Book, Second Edition (2015)
This second edition of the Activity Book has been updated to match the changes in Mastering Arabic 1, 3rd edition (2015). The Mastering Arabic 1 Activity Book provides a wealth of practice material for all beginners who want to understand, speak, and read Modern Standard Arabic confidently. Ideal for classroom use or self-study, the twenty practice units in this Activity Book mirror the twenty units in Mastering Arabic 1, 3rd edition, but this book also works well with any beginning Arabic cours…
Your First 100 Words in Arabic : Beginner’s Quick & Easy Guide to Demystifying Non-Roman Scripts (1999)
This book is designed to teach the beginner a basic vocabulary of 100 Arabic words―covering 8 everyday topics: around the home/ clothes/ around town (including transportation)/ countryside/ essentials/ opposities/ animals/ parts of the body.
The Toddler’s Handbook: Bilingual (English / Arabic) (الإنجليزية العربية) Numbers, Colors, Shapes, Sizes, ABC Animals, Opposites, and Sounds, with … Children’s Learning Books (Arabic Edition) (2017)
The Toddler's Handbook introduces 17 basic concepts in English and Arabic. Included are numbers, colors, shapes, sizes, ABCs, animals, opposites, sounds, actions, sports, food, tableware, clothes, engines, emotions, body, and time. This book develops early language skills using 174 words that every kid should know. Vibrant colors and images are designed to attract the attention of babies and toddlers.
Easy Arabic Grammar (2005)
Easy Arabic Grammar is both a handy grammar reference and a primer/workbook for beginning to intermediate-level students of Arabic. Clear structural explanations and practice activities make it a perfect companion for formal language classes as well as any self-teaching course.
Arabic Through the Qur’an (Islamic Texts Society) (2005)
Whether used as a means of self-instruction or as part of higher learning coursework, this language primer is ideally suited for those wishing to learn classical Arabic and for Muslims who wish to learn Arabic exclusively for use in their religious and spiritual practice.
Merriam-Webster’s Arabic-English Dictionary, newest edition, mass-market paperback (English and Arabic Edition) (2010)
This best-selling mass-market paperback bilingual, bidirectional dictionary uses current Arabic vocabulary (as it is spoken in the Arabic world) and up-to-date English words and phrases that reflect American English. It gives 43,000 entry words and more than 22,000 translations. IPA pronunciations and abundant usage examples are offered.
Essential Skills in Arabic: From Intermediate to Advanced (2018)
Do you want to build on your Arabic reading, writing and listening skills? Improve your ability to communicate in this language? This is the book for you. Offering practical sessions and exercises, each module contains a wide range of authentic, contemporary texts so that you can practice your skills as they develop.
Best Arabic Books to Read
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some arabic books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Linguistic Response to the Taboo of Death in Egyptian Arabic
Author(s): Magdalena Zawrotna
ID: 3460764, Publisher: Jagiellonian University Press, Year: 2023, Size: 2 Mb, Format: pdf
Marhaba! An Introduction to Modern Standard Arabic (Part 1)
Author(s): France Meyer, Leila Kouatly
ID: 3624775, Publisher: ANU Press Languages, Year: 2023, Size: 104 Mb, Format: epub
Marhaba! An Introduction to Modern Standard Arabic (Part 2)
Author(s): France Meyer, Leila Kouatly
ID: 3624776, Publisher: ANU Press Languages, Year: 2023, Size: 123 Mb, Format: epub
Please note that this booklist is not definite. Some books are truly hot items according to Los Angeles Times, others are drafted by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant books you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.