Frequently Asked Questions
About Ahlan
What kind of Arabic does Ahlan teach?
The Arabic people actually speak. Most courses start with Modern Standard Arabic — the formal language of news, writing and official settings — but everyday conversations sound different. Ahlan teaches spoken Arabic for the moments that matter: talking with family, connecting with a partner, travelling with confidence, or communicating at work.
Is that the same as Modern Standard Arabic?
No. Modern Standard Arabic is what you need for reading the news or writing formally, and it is what most courses teach first. Ahlan concentrates on the dialects people use when they talk to each other, so if formal written Arabic is your goal, a Modern Standard course will suit you better.
Do I need to know any Arabic before I start?
No. You start speaking from day one, and you do not need to read the Arabic alphabet first — see the question about transliteration below.
Which devices is Ahlan available on?
Ahlan is a mobile app for iOS and Android. The download links for both are on the home page.
Choosing a dialect
Which dialects can I learn?
Egyptian, Levantine, Lebanese, Iraqi and Gulf Arabic, along with the other major dialects. You learn the dialect that matches your real life rather than an Arabic that only lives in a textbook.
Which dialect should I choose?
The one spoken by the people in your life. If you are learning for a partner's family, choose theirs; if you are learning for travel or for work, choose the dialect of the place you are going to. There is no single correct answer, and the words you need most are the ones you will hear most.
What if the dialect I need is not there?
Write to help@getahlan.app and say which one you are looking for. Knowing what people are asking for is what decides which dialect is worked on next.
Practising with the AI coach
What is the AI coach?
A private place to rehearse a conversation before it happens. You choose your dialect, pick a situation that matters to you — meeting your partner's family, calling relatives, ordering at a restaurant, taking a taxi, introducing yourself at work — and practise it until you know what to say and can respond naturally when the real conversation comes.
Can I practise a situation that is not on the list?
Yes. You can create your own scenario and rehearse the specific conversation you are preparing for.
Do I have to speak, or can I type?
Either. You can type or speak, and the coach replies in both text and voice — so you can practise silently when you are somewhere you cannot talk, and out loud when you can.
AI Scan
What is AI Scan?
A way to learn Arabic through the things around you. Take a photo or upload an image to discover new words and connect them to everyday life — from objects in your kitchen to things you spot while travelling.
How do I use AI Scan?
Take a photo in the app or choose an image from your gallery. AI Scan helps you discover Arabic vocabulary from the image.
What kinds of photos can I scan?
Start with clear photos of everyday objects, food, or familiar surroundings. Choose something you are curious about or want to learn how to name in Arabic.
AI Tutor
What can I do with the AI Tutor?
Ask anything about Arabic — from translating a word to finding the right way to say something in everyday life. Practise conversations with AI and get feedback on your pronunciation and grammar to help you speak more clearly and naturally.
Can I practise with video? Do I need to turn on my camera?
You can enable video for a more face-to-face experience and watch how the tutor pronounces words. Your own camera is off by default, and turning it on is entirely optional. If you choose to use it, your camera images are not recorded or stored.
Why is each conversation three minutes long, and what happens afterwards?
Three minutes gives you a short, focused conversation, like a quick chat in everyday life. At the end, you'll get a recap with suggested vocabulary and feedback on your speaking. Ready to keep practising? Start a new three-minute session.
Practice by scene (AI Role Play)
What is Practice by scene
A private place to rehearse a conversation before it happens. Choose your dialect and pick a situation that matters to you — meeting your partner's family, calling relatives, ordering at a restaurant, taking a taxi, or introducing yourself at work. Practise until you feel ready to respond when the real conversation comes.
Can I practise a situation that is not on the list?
Yes. You can create your own scenario and rehearse the specific conversation you are preparing for.
Do I have to speak, or can I type?
Either. You can type or speak, and the AI replies in both text and voice — so you can practise silently when you cannot talk, and out loud when you can.
Speaking and pronunciation
I cannot read the Arabic alphabet. Can I still use Ahlan?
Yes. Every Arabic phrase includes optional transliteration — the phrase written in Latin letters — so you can start speaking before you can read the script, and switch it off as your reading improves.
How do I know whether I am saying something correctly?
You listen to natural Arabic, repeat it out loud, and get immediate feedback on your pronunciation, so you find out while you are practising rather than in the middle of a real conversation.
Remembering what you learn
How does Ahlan help me remember vocabulary?
Vocabulary is reviewed by topic with simple flashcards and spaced repetition, which brings a word back just as you are about to forget it. Anything that needs more practice can be revisited.
Does Ahlan keep track of my progress?
Yes. A daily streak records the days you practise, and your review history keeps hold of what you have learned so you can go back to it.
Do I need to create an account?
No. You can start learning as soon as you have installed the app. Your progress is kept on your device, which also means it does not follow you to another one: if you change phones, your streak and your review history stay behind.
The free trial and the subscription
Is Ahlan free?
Ahlan offers a free trial, followed by an auto-renewable subscription. How long the trial lasts and what the subscription costs in your region are both shown in the app and on the store listing before you confirm anything, so what you see there is what applies.
What happens when the free trial ends?
The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and payment is charged to your store account at confirmation of purchase. Any unused portion of the free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription.
How do I turn off auto-renewal?
In the account settings of the store you subscribed through — the App Store on iOS, Google Play on Android. Turning auto-renewal off at least 24 hours before the current period ends stops the subscription from renewing at the end of it.
Can I get a refund?
Subscriptions are bought through the App Store or Google Play, so refunds are theirs to grant under their own policies rather than something the app can process. If you are not sure what a charge was for, write to help@getahlan.app and it can be looked into with you.
I have subscribed, but the app has not unlocked. What should I do?
A subscription belongs to the store account it was bought with, so first check that you are signed in with the same Apple ID or Google account you subscribed with. If it still does not appear, write to help@getahlan.app with your device, its operating system version and the version of the app.
Privacy and getting help
What happens to my data, and to what I say to the coach?
The Privacy Policy is the document that answers this: it sets out what is collected, how long it is kept, which third-party services are involved, how the app's AI features process data, and what your rights are. If it does not settle your question, write to help@getahlan.app and ask.
What if my question is not answered here?
Write to help@getahlan.app, or read the Customer Support page first if you are reporting a bug — it lists what to include so the problem can be looked into without going back and forth. The Terms & Conditions cover the rules for using the app.