Learning to Read Arabic

Embarking on the journey to read Arabic might seem like a daunting task, especially if you’re unfamiliar with non-Latin scripts. However, with a methodical approach and regular practice, you’ll soon be able to navigate this beautiful and intricate language. This step-by-step class will help you understand the basics of reading Arabic.

Understand the Arabic Alphabet

The Arabic alphabet consists of 28 letters, all of which are consonants. This might be a new concept if you’re coming from a language like English where letters can represent both vowels and consonants.

It’s essential to familiarize yourself with each letter, its shape, and the sound it represents. Keep in mind that Arabic is written and read from right to left, which might take some time to get used to. To hear the Arabic alphabet audio, tap here.

Learning Short Vowels and Diacritics

In Arabic, short vowels and other sounds are represented by diacritical marks placed above or below the letters. They are essential for correct pronunciation and meaning, but are often omitted in everyday writing. Here are the three short vowels, known as “Harakat,” and some other important diacritics:

• Fatha ( ـَ ):
• It is a diagonal stroke placed above a letter and represents a short “a” sound, similar to the “a” in “apple”. For example, in the word بَتَ (bata), both “ب” (ba) and “ت” (ta) have a fatha.

• Kasra ( ـِ ):
• It is a diagonal stroke placed below a letter and represents a short “i” sound, similar to the “i” in “it”. For example, in the word بِتِ (biti), both “ب” (ba) and “ت” (ta) have a kasra.

• Damma ( ـُ ):
• It is a tiny curl-like diacritic placed above a letter and represents a short “u” sound, similar to the “oo” in “look”. For example, in the word بُتُ (butu), both “ب” (ba) and “ت” (ta) have a damma.

• Sukun ( ـْ ):
• A circle-like mark written above a letter, indicating the absence of a vowel. For example, in the word بْت (bt), both “ب” (ba) and “ت” (ta) have a sukun.

• Shadda ( ـّ ):
• It is written as a small “w” shape above a letter and indicates a doubled or stressed consonant. For example, in the word مُدّ (mudd), the “د” (dal) has a shadda, indicating it should be stressed or doubled in pronunciation.

Tanween (nunation)

Tanween (nunation) in Arabic language is a diacritic that indicates indefiniteness of a noun. It can be considered as the equivalent of the English indefinite articles “a” and “an”. Tanween is represented by doubling of the short vowel diacritics (Fatha, Damma, and Kasra), and it only appears at the end of a word. There are three types of Tanween:

• Tanween al-Fath:
• The double Fatha is placed above a letter and it adds an “-an” sound at the end of the word. For example, كِتابًا (kitaaban) meaning “a book”.

• Tanween al-Kasr:
• The double Kasra is placed below a letter and it adds an “-in” sound at the end of the word. For example, بِنْتٍ (bintin) meaning “a girl”.

• Tanween al-Damm:
• The double Damma is placed above a letter and it adds an “-un” sound at the end of the word. For example, رَجُلٌ (rajulun) meaning “a man”.

These are added to the end of a noun to indicate that it is indefinite. The type of Tanween used is generally determined by the grammatical case of the noun in the sentence (nominative, accusative, or genitive), which in turn depends on the noun’s role and its relationship with other words in the sentence.

Please note that while these diacritics are vital for correct pronunciation, they are often omitted in a lot of written Arabic, especially in informal contexts and in printed materials. The correct pronunciation and understanding then relies on the reader’s knowledge and understanding of the language and its context.

Letter Forms Based on Position

Arabic letters change shape based on their position in a word. For example:

• أ – ‘Alif:
  • Standalone/Initial/Medial/Final: أ
  • Example: أم (Mother)

• ب – Ba:
  • Standalone: ب
  • Initial: بـ
  • Medial: ـبـ
  • Final: ـب
  • Example: باب (Door)

• ت – Ta:
  • Standalone: ت
  • Initial: تـ
  • Medial: ـتـ
  • Final: ـت
  • Example: تمر (Date fruit)

• ث – Tha:
  • Standalone: ث
  • Initial: ثـ
  • Medial: ـثـ
  • Final: ـث
  • Example: ثعلب (Fox)

• ج – Jim:
  • Standalone: ج
  • Initial: جـ
  • Medial: ـجـ
  • Final: ـج
  • Example: جمل (Camel)

• ح – Ha:
  • Standalone: ح
  • Initial: حـ
  • Medial: ـحـ
  • Final: ـح
  • Example: حمام (Bathroom)

• خ – Kha:
  • Standalone: خ
  • Initial: خـ
  • Medial: ـخـ
  • Final: ـخ
  • Example: خبز (Bread)

• د – Dal:
  • Standalone/Initial/Medial/Final: د
  • Example: دب (Bear)

• ذ – Dhal:
  • Standalone/Initial/Medial/Final: ذ
  • Example: ذهب (Gold)

• ر – Ra:
  • Standalone/Initial/Medial/Final: ر
  • Example: رجل (Man)

• ز – Zay:
  • Standalone/Initial/Medial/Final: ز
  • Example: زرافة (Giraffe)

• س – Seen:
  • Standalone: س
  • Initial: سـ
  • Medial: ـسـ
  • Final: ـس
  • Example: سمك (Fish)

• ش – Sheen:
  • Standalone: ش
  • Initial: شـ
  • Medial: ـشـ
  • Final: ـش
  • Example: شمس (Sun)

• ص – Sad:
  • Standalone: ص
  • Initial: صـ
  • Medial: ـصـ
  • Final: ـص
  • Example: صابون (Soap)

• ض – Dad:
  • Standalone: ض
  • Initial: ضـ
  • Medial: ـضـ
  • Final: ـض
  • Example: ضفدع (Frog)

• ط – Ta:
  • Standalone: ط
  • Initial: طـ
  • Medial: ـطـ
  • Final: ـط
  • Example: طائرة (Airplane)

• ظ – Za:
  • Standalone: ظ
  • Initial: ظـ
  • Medial: ـظـ
  • Final: ـظ
  • Example: ظرف (Envelope)

• ع – ‘Ain:
  • Standalone: ع
  • Initial: عـ
  • Medial: ـعـ
  • Final: ـع
  • Example: عصفور (Bird)

• غ – Ghain:
  • Standalone: غ
  • Initial: غـ
  • Medial: ـغـ
  • Final: ـغ
  • Example: غابة (Forest)

• ف – Fa:
  • Standalone: ف
  • Initial: فـ
  • Medial: ـفـ
  • Final: ـف
  • Example: فراشة (Butterfly)

• ق – Qaaf:
  • Standalone: ق
  • Initial: قـ
  • Medial: ـقـ
  • Final: ـق
  • Example: قط (Cat)

• ك – Kaaf:
  • Standalone: ك
  • Initial: كـ
  • Medial: ـكـ
  • Final: ـك
  • Example: كلب (Dog)

• ل – Lam:
  • Standalone: ل
  • Initial: لـ
  • Medial: ـلـ
  • Final: ـل
  • Example: ليمون (Lemon)

• م – Meem:
  • Standalone: م
  • Initial: مـ
  • Medial: ـمـ
  • Final: ـم
  • Example: موز (Banana)

• ن – Noon:
  • Standalone: ن
  • Initial: نـ
  • Medial: ـنـ
  • Final: ـن
  • Example: نمر (Tiger)

• ه – Haa:
  • Standalone: ه
  • Initial: هـ
  • Medial: ـهـ
  • Final: ـه
  • Example: هرم (Pyramid)

• و – Waw:
  • Standalone/Initial/Medial/Final: و
  • Example: ورد (Flower)

• ي – Ya:
  • Standalone: ي
  • Initial: يـ
  • Medial: ـيـ
  • Final: ـي
  • Example: يد (Hand)

Remember, understanding the different forms of the Arabic letters is an essential step in learning how to read and write in Arabic. It may seem complicated at first, but with practice, it will become second nature. Be patient with yourself and happy learning!

Joining Letters to Form Words

Arabic script is cursive, so you’ll need to learn how to join letters to form words. For example, if you want to write the word “بيت” (bayt, meaning house), you join “ب” (ba) + “ي” (ya) + “ت” (ta) together to form “بيت”.

Learning to read Arabic may initially seem challenging, but it’s an immensely rewarding journey. With time, patience, and regular practice, you’ll soon find yourself comfortably reading and understanding this beautiful language. Enjoy the process!

To start learning Arabic, simply tap on the button below to access the complete course.