A listener from Riyadh, Cairo or Beirut knows within one line whether a song is “theirs”. The difference is mostly in the words: how you say “now”, “very”, “I want” and “I miss you”. The instruments and rhythm finish the job.
Our general Arabic guide covers the basics of making an Arabic song. This one goes deeper into the three dialects people ask for most, with words to use, original sample lines in Arabic script and prompts for each.
The rule: lyrics decide the dialect
Autunes sings Arabic from Arabic script, word for word. There is no hidden “standard” accent it falls back to: if you write Egyptian, it sings Egyptian. That makes your lyrics the most important choice. Three habits help:
- Write in Arabic script, not Arabizi. “7abibi” and “3omri” have no fixed spelling and the numbers stand for sounds a singer can easily flatten.
- Stay in one dialect per song. A Gulf verse with an Egyptian chorus sounds like two songs. Modern Standard Arabic is the right choice for anthems, nasheeds and formal poems, and mixes poorly with street dialect.
- Decide who is singing to whom. Arabic changes with gender: إنتَ or إنتِ, حبيبي or حبيبتي, and the verb endings follow. Pick the singer’s voice in the prompt to match.
Khaleeji (Gulf)
Everyday words that make it sound Gulf: الحين (now), وايد and حيل (very, a lot), زين (good, beautiful), أبي or أبغى (I want), شلونك (how are you). The sound is built on oud, strings, handclaps and frame drums such as the mirwas, often in a rolling 6/8 feel.
Original sample lines:
- [Verse] الحين قلبي يبيك وايد
- وعيوني ما تشوف غيرك
- [Chorus] يا حبيبي تعال الحين
- الليلة ليلتنا يا زين
- Prompt: “Khaleeji wedding song, male vocal with group handclaps, oud, mirwas drums and strings, 100 BPM”
- Prompt: “slow Khaleeji love ballad, emotional male vocal, oud and string section, 76 BPM”
- Prompt: “modern Gulf pop, female vocal, oud riff over electronic beat, 104 BPM”
Egyptian
Everyday words: دلوقتي (now), أوي (very), عايز or عايزة (I want), كده (like this), وحشتني (I missed you). Egyptian negation with ما…ش (ما تمشيش, ما أعرفش) is one of the fastest ways to sound Cairene. The sound ranges from string-heavy pop to darbuka-driven shaabi and Saidi folk.
Original sample lines:
- [Verse] أنا عايزك دلوقتي أكتر من الأول
- وحشتني أوي ومش عارف أقول
- [Chorus] خليك جنبي وما تمشيش
- من غيرك أنا ما أعرفش أعيش
- Prompt: “Egyptian pop love song, smooth male vocal, oud, strings and darbuka, polished radio mix, 96 BPM”
- Prompt: “Egyptian shaabi wedding song, accordion and darbuka, festive group chorus, 120 BPM”
- Prompt: “Saidi folk song from Upper Egypt, mizmar and tabl, proud male vocal, 112 BPM”
Levantine (Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, Jordanian)
Everyday words: هلق or هلأ (now), كتير (very), بدي (I want), شو (what), هون (here), حدّي (next to me). The sound runs from soft piano-and-strings ballads to the buzuq, mijwiz and tabl of the dabke line dance at weddings.
Original sample lines:
- [Verse] بدي ياك هلق، مشتاقلك كتير
- من دونك قلبي ما عاد يطير
- [Chorus] خليك حدّي، خليك هون
- إنت الدنيا وإنت الكون
- Prompt: “Lebanese pop ballad, tender female vocal, piano, strings and oud, 80 BPM”
- Prompt: “Levantine dabke for a wedding, mijwiz and tabl, driving line-dance rhythm, crowd chants, 120 BPM”
- Prompt: “gentle Levantine morning song, female vocal, buzuq and light percussion, nostalgic, 88 BPM”
Writing lines that sing well in Arabic
Keep one rhyme sound (qafiya) through a verse or chorus; the sample lines above rhyme on the last letters for that reason. Put the hook word at the end of the line, where the singer holds it. Short, repeatable chorus phrases such as يا حبيبي, يا ليل or يا عين are natural in Arabic songs and give the melody somewhere to rest.
Short vowels (tashkeel) are optional. Add them only on a word that could be read two ways, such as a name or a classical word, rather than on every letter.
If you want a particular maqam, name it in the prompt (“maqam Bayati”, “maqam Hijaz”, “maqam Saba” for a sad song). It steers the colour of the melody, but treat it as a direction, not a guarantee of exact quarter tones.
Engine, cost and fixing a line
With your own Arabic lyrics, the free plan can use Zori5.5 XL (15 credits), the more natural voice. Songs from a description use Zori5 Turbo (10 credits). Pro and Creator use XL on any song, and can pick up to 5 lines to have re-sung on the same melody if one word comes out wrong. Every new account starts with 15 free credits, and prices outside India are shown at local rates.