The Al Bhed are a fictional people from the RPG, Final Fantasy X. They are a technologically advanced culture, using what are known as machina to aid them in activities ranging from clothes to daily routines to warfare. Al Bhed are Anglo-Saxon in appearance (The name “Al Bhed” actually comes from “albedo,” meaning whiteness), and can be distinguished by lack of pupils, but a spiral pattern in their place. Rikku, a PC in FFX, is an Al Bhed, and the daughter of Cid, also an Al Bhed.

The Al Bhed speak a language of the same name. Al Bhed is merely English, with each letter replaced by a similar-sounding consonant/vowel, to give a Saxon tone to its speakers. At the beginning of the game, the language is incomprehensible to the player, rendering some hints and secrets written in Al Bhed impossible to discern. The player can search the world of FFX, though, for 26 Al Bhed Primers, each one translating a letter of Al Bhed to English.

Translation Guide

English to Al Bhed

A = Y
B = P
C = L
D = T
E = A
F = V
G = K
H = R
I = E
J = Z
K = G
L = M
M = S
N = H
O = U
P = B
Q = X
R = N
S = C
T = D
U = I
V = J
W = F
X = Q
Y = O
Z = W

Al Bhed to English
A = E
B = P
C = S
D = T
E = I
F = W
G = K
H = N
I = U
J = V
K = G
L = C
M = L
N = R
O = Y
P = B
Q = X
R = H
S = M
T = D
U = O
V = F
W = Z
X = Q
Y = A
Z = J

Many common phrases are easily pronounceable, and even understandable in English to a degree. For example,

“Dryhg oui” = “Thank you”
”Cunno” = “Sorry”
“Ajanodrehk2 ec dra vidina uv dra ehdanhad!” = “Everything2 is the future of the internet!”
“Fryd, sa, y cilg ib?” = “What, me, a suck up?”

From pretty early on in the game, you're given the opportunity to use a tool called a Combine Sphere, which allows you to import Al Bhed dictionaries from PS2 memory cards. This, in turn, enables you to play most of the game with all the Al Bhed translated, provided you have a friend who has finished the game and will lend you his/her memory card. This greatly helps in understanding FFX's fairly complicated storyline.

And if you're a total nerd, you can even encode/decode Al Bhed messages using a nifty translator crafted by Stefan Gagne (twoflowr@pixelscapes.com) and Enigmaopoeia (enigmaopoeia@hotmail.com). The translator, which will even tell you how to pronounce the Al Bhed it generates, is located at: http://www.pixelscapes.com/twoflower/albhed.html

So go check it out...yht ahzuo ouincamjac, oui pihlr uv vnaygc!

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