Shokran For Trying: 11 celebs who attempted to speak Arabic

There is nothing that brings people together the same way language does. Yes, English may have become the lingua franca of the world but it doesn't have the ability to transcend political and social barriers the way a local language can. 

Time and again, famous personalities have attempted to please their Arab fans by uttering a word, two, and sometimes even sentences in Arabic to connect with people in the region in kind of a different way. 

Although Arabic may not be the easiest language in the world, some celebs have put in the effort to learn some aspects of it. Here are some of those celebrities who have tried ... and (surprisingly) succeeded at it. 

Boys In Groove, or B.I.G, a Korean pop group, are so well versed in Arabic as they've taken lessons in the language to help them perform covers of Arabic songs. 

The above video was made in an effort to promote their concert at the 2019 Korean Festival in the UAE in November. 

They have definitely picked up the language pretty well. 

There's a reason Mena Massoud was cast as Aladdin. Not only does he look Arab, but he is actually of Egyptian descent. Although he was raised in Canada, he has made sure to stay connected to his roots. 

Just listen to that accent.

BTS is a Korean Pop group who is becoming more and more popular among the Gulf countries. On Oct. 11, 2019 BTS performed in Saudi Arabia as part of their World Tour.

During the concert, they decided to sing Happy Birthday to one of their members - Jimin - whose birthday falls on Oct. 13. The catch? They sang it all in Arabic, catching him and their fans off guard.

Rami Malek once again flaunted his Arabic skills at the 2019 Oscars. It may not be perfect, but at least the actor of Egyptian descent is making his love for his country of origin known.

Also, it gets more and more adorable every time.

Louis Tominlson is a previous One Direction singer who has branched out on his own. His song "Kill My Mind" was released on Sept. 5, 2019 in preparation for his World Tour 2020. He is set to perform in Dubai, UAE on Apr. 18, 2020.

Marhaba to you too, Louis!

Shah Rukh Khan is a Bollywood actor who has gained a HUGE fan base in the Gulf. Dubai even scrawled his name on the Burj Khalifa tower in celebration of his birthday. 

He attended the Joy Forum 2019 in Saudi Arabia in October, where he took the time to carry out his speech in Arabic to those in attendance.

Not sure what happened there, DJ Khaled, but baklawa is the Arabic version of baklava. He definitely needs to work on his pronunciation just a tad bit more. But kudos for trying.

Dami from the K-Pop group Dreamcatcher has tried so hard to get Arabic words right, and she has for the most part. Anyway, accents are all a myth, so does her pronunciation really matter? 

Apparently the first Arabic word to almost always come to mind is "Shokran," which is Arabic for "Thank You."

Mesut Özil, a professional German football player, was just sitting there minding his own business when one of his teammates asks him to say something in Arabic. Being the cool, calm person he is, he replied with a chilled out "shokran."

Dean Muhtadi, also known as WWE wrestler Mojo Rawley, is an American whose parents happen to be Arab. So does it really surprise you that he posted a video in Arabic explaining what had happened when he - and a few others - got stranded in Saudi Arabia last month? 

Lindsay Lohan's iconic moment reverts back to when she basically tried to "adopt" a refugee child in Russia while his apparent parents were right there with him.

In the video, she can be heard shifting between speaking English and then Arabic as she accuses the group of child trafficking. And that was before she got punched for doing so.

So Ariana Grande is not actually singing in Arabic here. However, if you listen closely, apparently you can hear her saying (انا اللي سهرت 8 مرات) which is Arabic for "I am the one who stayed awake eight times." In reality, she says "but at least I have the memory." 

You can't say you didn't hear Arabic words though.