Help Classify Arabic into Dialects!

This task is for Arabic speakers who understand the different local Arabic dialects (اللهجات العامّية، أو الدّارجة), and can distinguish them from Fusha Arabic (الفصحى).

Below, you will see several Arabic sentences. For each sentence:
  1. Tell us how much dialect (عامّية) is in the sentence, and then
  2. Tell us which Arabic dialect the writer intends.
This following map explains the dialects:

PLEASE READ the following. You MUST understand the classifications, otherwise your work might be rejected!!
  • Levantine (شامي) does NOT mean "Syrian" only. It includes Syrian, but ALSO: Jordanian is Levantine, Palestinian is Levantine, and Lebanese is Levantine. That's why all these countries are green in the map.

  • Maghrebi (مغربي) does NOT mean "Moroccan" only. It includes Moroccan, but ALSO: Algerian is Maghrebi, Tunisian is Maghrebi, and Libyan is Maghrebi. That's why all these countries are purple in the map.

  • The word "dialect" (لهجة) does NOT mean "spelling mistake" (خطأ إملائي). If the writer was trying to write in 100% فصحى, classify it as No dialect, even if it has some spelling mistakes.

  • If the sentence is NOT Arabic (i.e. Farsi, Urdu, English, or incomprehensible), please mark it as Not Arabic.

  • If you see a blank line, please mark is as Not Arabic and mention it in the comment section. Thanks!

  • NOTE: If the sentence contains another language in addition to Arabic, please check "contains another language" and indicate the language if you recognize it. Then indicate the level and dialect of ONLY the Arabic parts of the sentence. If the sentence is ENTIRELY a language not Arabic, please mark it as Not Arabic.
Informed Consent Form

Purpose of research study: We are collecting human annotations to improve automatic translation of Arabic into other languages. These annotations might be class labels, judgments of output quality, or actual translations.

Benefits: Although it will not directly benefit you, this study may benefit society by improving how computers process human languages. This could lead to better translation software, improved web searching, or new user interfaces for computers and mobile devices.

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We may end your participation if you do not have adequate knowledge of the language, or you are not following the instructions, or your answers significantly deviate from known translations.

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Questions/concerns: You may e-mail questions to the principal investigator, Chris Callison-Burch. If you feel you have been treated unfairly you may contact the Johns Hopkins University Institutional Review Board.

Clicking on the “Accept HIT” button indicates that you understand the information in this consent form. You have not waived any legal rights you otherwise would have as a participant in a research study.



                                  This is a simple task, and your answers will help advance research on the Arabic language,
                                  so please do the task properly, and please have fun doing it. :)


First, please answer these questions about your language abilities:
(You don't have to answer these questions in every HIT; one time is enough)

Is Arabic your native language? Yes No
How many years have you spoken Arabic? (If native speaker, just enter your age.) years
Which Arabic dialect do you understand best?
What country do you currently live in?


Which Dialect?    أية لهجة عامّية؟ Dialect Level    كمّية اللهجة العامّية Other Languages    لغات أخرى Sentence    الجملة


Thanks for doing our HIT! If you have a brief question or comment about this HIT,
please provide it in the box below...

If you have more comments about the task or our research in general, you can reach us
directly by sending an e-mail to sjeblee1@jhu.edu .



                 When will your account be credited?

                 If you answer faithfully, you will be credited within 72 hours. Your answers are evaluated by a native speaker of Arabic, and also compared against other people's answers.
                 For this reason, it is easy for us to identify good workers and bad workers. It is OK to make some mistakes, but if you don't answer properly too many times, we will reject your answers.
                 This is a simple task, and your answers will help advance research on the Arabic language, so please do the task properly, and please have fun doing it. :)