How to add Arabic subtitles to a video

Step by step

1. Open your videoDrop it into the editor. Any clip with Arabic speech works: a reel, a lesson, a product demo.
2. Generate the captions in ArabicIn the Text tab, open Auto captions (paid plans). Set the spoken language to Arabic rather than automatic detection, pick a style and how many words show at once, then generate.
3. Check every lineArabic captions switch to an Arabic typeface (Cairo) and are laid out right to left. Click any caption to correct names, numbers and dialect words.
4. Choose a word highlightPick Color, Box, Pop or Reveal. The highlight moves from right to left, following each spoken word.
5. Or type them yourself, for freeAdd a text clip from the Text tab, set the font to Cairo or Tajawal, and type or paste your Arabic. Drag it on the timeline to time it.
6. ExportExport the MP4 with the subtitles burned in, so they look the same on every phone and platform.

Why Arabic subtitles break in so many tools

Arabic is read from right to left, and each letter changes shape depending on whether it starts, sits inside or ends a word. Software that doesn’t handle both of these properly produces the errors Arabic speakers know too well:

• Reversed words: the words of a line appear in left-to-right order, so the sentence reads backwards.
• Disconnected letters: letters are shown in their standalone forms instead of joining, which is hard to read and looks broken.
• Punctuation on the wrong side: a full stop or question mark (؟) lands on the right, where the sentence starts, instead of the left, where it ends.
• Missing glyphs: a Latin display font has no Arabic letters, so the text falls back to a mismatched font or empty boxes.
• Highlights running backwards: word-by-word highlights move left to right, against the reading direction.

How CutLuma handles right-to-left captions

Every caption is still a normal text clip, so you can change the font, size, colour, outline and position. The Arabic subtitle generator page has the details.

• An Arabic typeface by default. When captions contain Arabic script, they switch to Cairo and uppercase styling is turned off.
• Right-to-left lines. Lines are laid out and wrapped the way Arabic is read, and they re-wrap if you change the video’s shape.
• Word highlights follow the speaker. Colour, box, pop and reveal highlights move right to left with each spoken word.
• Breaks at Arabic punctuation. Caption groups end at the Arabic comma (،) and question mark (؟), not mid-phrase.
• Translations too. Captions translated into Arabic or Urdu switch to a matching typeface and layout.

Dialects, names and mixed Arabic–English lines

Transcription works best with Modern Standard Arabic and widely spoken dialects such as Egyptian, Gulf and Levantine. Expect to correct some dialect words, names and brand names; click the caption and type the fix.

Lines that mix Arabic with English words or numbers are where right-to-left text gets tricky in any tool, because the two directions meet in one line. Where you can, avoid starting or ending a line with an English word, keep brand names short, and pick one style of digits — Western (123) or Arabic-Indic (١٢٣) — and use it throughout.

Readability tips for Arabic captions

• Go a size up. Arabic letters often look smaller than Latin letters at the same font size, so increase the size a little.
• Use bold weights and an outline or box. Thin Arabic strokes disappear over busy footage.
• Skip italics and uppercase. Arabic has no capital letters, and slanted Arabic text looks wrong.
• One or two short lines. Keep captions above the bottom ~20% on vertical video — see the general subtitles guide.

Translating subtitles to or from Arabic

Have captions in English and want an Arabic version, or the other way round? Caption the video first, then use Translate captions: every line keeps its timing and look, and Arabic translations switch to a right-to-left layout. Have a native speaker read the result before you publish. Both auto captions and translation are part of the paid plans. For greetings and offers, the templates include two Arabic designs.

FAQ