Forty phrases in Syrian Arabic, grouped by when you'll need them. Even a few words changes how you're received, and Syrians will meet the attempt with real warmth.
You do not need to be good. You need to try. The gap between zero words and five words is enormous.
Nobody expects you to get these right. Approximating them is enough.
A constriction deep in the throat, written here as an apostrophe. Approximate it as a hard "a" and you'll be understood.
A "k" made further back in the mouth. In Damascus city speech it is often dropped entirely to a glottal stop.
Kh as in the Scottish "loch," and a breathy h from the throat. Both are common in ordinary words.
English, Arabic, and how to say it.