Teta’s house in Badaro, with the banyan fig over the garden wall
يلاA free trip to Beirut, in your browser

Learn Lebanese Arabic by exploring Beirut

Follow your cousin Jamila and your Tetaتيتاtetagrandma around the city. Knock on doors, chat with the neighbors, get lost on purpose. Every conversation teaches you the words people really use, in Arabic script, Latin letters and audio.

Boarding passبطاقة صعود FromWherever you are ToBEY · Beirut FlightLC 001 FareFree GateYour browser Boarding now Play now →
Free on the App Store →
جوّا اللعبةInside the game

Five ways to learn, one city

Live the story, play, review your words, sit in class or take on other players live. Do a bit of everything, whenever you like. All of it free.

A conversation on Rita’s terrace: the question in Arabic, the answers to pick from 01القصةThe story Live the story Land in Beirut, meet your cousin Jamila and your Teta, and talk your way across the city. Every conversation teaches the words people really use.
Karim’s dikkene: read the order, fill the basket, give the change 02ألعاب زغيرةMini games Play to remember Run Karim’s dikkene, count with Ali, read the clock, fish off the Corniche. Eight little games that make the words stick.
A flashcard session: pick the right meaning 03البطاقاتFlashcards Review every word Every encounter unlocks a deck. Read, listen, quiz yourself, then build your own deck and share it.
Mr Hashem’s final exam: his story on the left, eight questions on the right 04المدرسةClasses Take real classes Structured lessons in Jamila’s classroom, with free video lessons by Ali Matar. Then Mr Hashem’s final exam.
A Memory Duel at Louis’ table: two players, the pairs they found 05طاولة لويسPlay with other players Take on other players Pull up a chair at Louis’ table in Jnah and play real people, live. Or team up with one to draw and guess. Vocab RushNumber RushMemory DuelQuiz NightDraw & GuessWord by Word
وكمانAnd around the city
The television التلفزيونThe televisionLebanese programmes, subtitles beside them
Ten cassettes الكاسيتاتTen cassettesHidden across Lebanon, found by ear
Kelmet el Yom كلمة اليومKelmet el YomOne word to guess, every day
The book of poems اللي بعد ما نقالThe book of poemsRead the players’ poems, send your own
الشركاءPartners

Our partners

The people and institutions who help us get the language and the country right.

Teaching partner TheSpokenArabicAli Matar 110K+ learners Ali has been teaching spoken Arabic online for years, and now runs one of the largest resources on the internet for learning Lebanese the way it’s actually spoken: structured courses, best-selling books and a thriving community of learners. Won over by Lebanon Chronicles, he made it part of his own learning paths. In the game: meet him at the school, where he gives you free access to his expert video lessons! spokenarabiconline.com Official partner Republic of Lebanon · OfficialMinistry of Tourism Lebanon “Bringing you closer to the heart of Lebanon” The Ministry promotes the country’s cities and villages, its heritage sites, its festivals and its cuisine. Shukran ktir to them! In the game: their team helped us throughout development and sourced us on the culture, the traditions and the real places you explore, so that every street corner feels true to life. mot.gov.lb Want to be part of Lebanon Chronicles? Teachers, schools, cultural institutions: we would love to hear from you. Get in touch!
المشروعThe project

Why this game exists

…the equivalent of learning Latin to chat at a Roman pizzeria.

The Corniche and the Manara lighthouse, an old man on a bench by the sea
The Manara, on the Corniche, where an old man will ask where you’re from.
A letter from the founder

I’m Louis. I grew up in France and discovered Lebanon a few years ago. I fell in love with it the moment I arrived, and every day I’m still amazed by the beauty of its landscapes, the hospitality of its people, the richness of its culture, and everything that comes with it.

Learning Lebanese has always been a kind of game to me, but every app I tried gave me modern standard Arabic, which is the equivalent of learning Latin to chat at a Roman pizzeria.

After many years working in software, I set myself a challenge: make a small, unpretentious game to help people learn this beautiful language.

It will never replace a human teacher. I really encourage you to do both, or even use the game as a side companion to your lessons. And if you’re a Lebanese teacher yourself, please use it in your classes, I’d be honored.

Lebanon Chronicles is a slow, point-and-click way to learn the language by doing everyday Lebanese things: ordering at the manousheمنقوشةman2ousheflatbread with za’atar place, naming what’s on the table at Tetaتيتاtetagrandma’s, asking for a price or a color in a clothes shop, picking the right answer when an old man at the Corniche asks where you’re from.

It’s a love letter to Lebanon, to the people who introduced me to this country, and to those who still walk this incredible journey with me.

LouisFounder of Lebanon Chronicles
ساعدوناSupport us

Keep the lights on

Lebanon Chronicles is completely free, and it will stay that way. No ads, no paywall, no “Premium” tier hiding the good lessons.

Running it still costs real money every month, servers, database, app stores and various technical bits, and we receive no money from anywhere. We build this for the love of it.

If the game brings you a bit of joy, the best ways to support us cost nothing:

اشتراكGenerator
الكهربا مقطوعةPower cut. Flip the generator.
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