ARABIC LEARNING FOR BIGENERS

Arabic is read from right to left

 Arabic Letters ‫األحرف العَ َربيَّة‬

‫ج‬ ‫ث‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ب‬ ‫أ‬ Arabic Character

Jeem Th Taa Baa Alif Letter Name
j th t b a Letter Sound

‫ر‬ ‫ذ‬ ‫د‬ ‫خ‬ ‫ح‬ Arabic Character

Raa Dhaal Daal Kha Ha Letter Name
r dh d kh h Letter Sound

‫ض‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ش‬ ‫س‬ ‫ز‬ Arabic Character

Daad Saad Sheen Seen Zaa Letter Name
d s sh s z Letter Sound

‫ف‬ ‫غ‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ظ‬ ‫ط‬ Arabic Character

Faa Ghayn ‘Ayn Za Ta Letter Name
f gh ’a z t Letter Sound

‫ن‬ ‫م‬ ‫ل‬ ‫كـ‬ ‫ق‬ Arabic Character

Noon Meem Laam Kaaf Qaaf Letter Name
n m l k q Letter Sound

‫يـ‬ ‫و‬ ‫هـ‬ Arabic Character

Yaa Waaw Haa Letter Name
y w h Letter Sound

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Exercise: 1

1/ How many are Arabic alphabet? _____________________________

‫جاء‬ َ ‫َكم‬
ِ ‫عدد ُحروف ال ِه‬

2/ Write the characters from to ‫يـ أ‬

‫من أ إلى يـ‬
ْ ‫روف‬
َ ‫اكتبْ ال ُح‬

‫ث‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ب‬ ‫أ‬

3/ How similar letters ‫ث‬ ،‫ ت‬،‫ب‬ ? ‫كيف تتشابه الحروف؟‬

__________________________________________________________
4/ Look for other similar letters? ‫ابحث عن حروف أخرى تتشابه؟‬
__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

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 Short Vowel – Marks ‫عالمات العلّة القصيرة‬
In Arabic there are 3 short vowel- marks. The short vowel – marks enable
the letter to make sound, in Arabic one cannot make a word without vowel
being used.
These 3 vowel – marks are marked below or above the letter.
(1) The Single Vowel-marks ‫عالمات ال ِعلّة اإلفرادية‬
The single vowel- marks are the basic vowel- marks which add a sound
similar of that of a, i or u in the English language to the letter.

Arabic Character
‫أ‬ ‫ا‬ َ‫ا‬
Damma Kasra Fatha Vowel Name

u i q Vowel Sound

The ‘u’ in The ‘I’ in sit The ’a’ in English word with similar
put sat

*Fatha ‫الفَتحة‬
The Fatha is the short diagonal stroke above the letter.

‫َج‬ ‫ث‬ َ ‫ت‬ َ ‫ب‬ َ َ‫ا‬

‫َر‬ َ‫ذ‬ َ‫د‬ ‫َخ‬ ‫َح‬
‫ض‬
َ ‫ص‬
َ ‫ش‬ َ ‫س‬ َ َ‫ز‬
‫ف‬ َ َ
‫غ‬ ‫ع‬َ َ
‫ظ‬ َ
‫ط‬
َ‫ن‬ ‫َم‬ ‫َل‬ َ ‫كـ‬ َ‫ق‬
َ ‫يـ‬ ‫َو‬ َ ‫هـ‬
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*Kasra ‫ال َكسرة‬
The Kasra is the short diagonal stroke below the letter.

‫ج‬
ِ ‫ث‬ِ ‫ت‬ِ ‫ب‬ِ ِ‫ا‬
‫ِر‬ ‫ِذ‬ ‫ِد‬ ‫خ‬
ِ ‫ح‬
ِ
‫ض‬ ِ ‫ص‬ ِ ‫ِش‬ ‫ِس‬ ‫ِز‬
‫ف‬ ِ ِ‫غ‬ ِ‫ع‬ ‫ِظ‬ ‫ِط‬
‫ِن‬ ‫ِم‬ ‫ِل‬ ِ ‫كـ‬ ‫ق‬ ِ
ِ ‫يـ‬ ‫ِو‬ ِ ‫هـ‬

*Damma ‫ض ّمة‬
َ ‫ال‬
The Damma is the letter which is similar in shape to the Arabic character
‘waw’ which we learnt before, it is placed above the letter.

‫ُج‬ ‫ث‬ ُ ‫ت‬ ُ ‫ب‬ ُ ُ‫ا‬

‫ُر‬ ُ‫ذ‬ ُ‫د‬ ‫ُخ‬ ‫ُح‬
‫ض‬
ُ ‫ص‬
ُ ‫ش‬ ُ ‫س‬ ُ ‫ُز‬
‫ف‬ ُ ُ
‫غ‬ ‫ع‬ُ ُ
‫ظ‬ ُ
‫ط‬
‫ُن‬ ‫ُم‬ ‫ُل‬ ُ ‫كـ‬ ‫ُق‬
ُ ‫يـ‬ ‫ُو‬ ُ ‫هـ‬

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‫‪Exercise: 2‬‬
‫‪*Put‬‬ ‫‪Fatha‬‬ ‫‪on these letters and read‬‬
‫ضع الفتحة على هذه الحروف واقرأ‬

‫ث‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ا‬

‫د‬ ‫خ‬ ‫ح‬ ‫ج‬

‫‪*Put Damma‬‬ ‫‪on these letters and read‬‬

‫ضع الض ّمة على هذه الحروف واقرأ‬

‫س‬ ‫ز‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ذ‬

‫ط‬ ‫ض‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ش‬

‫‪*Put Kasra‬‬ ‫‪on these letters and read‬‬

‫ضع الكسرة على هذه الحروف واقرأ‬

‫ف‬ ‫غ‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ظ‬

‫م‬ ‫ل‬ ‫كـ‬ ‫ق‬

‫يـ‬ ‫و‬ ‫هـ‬ ‫ن‬

‫‪5‬‬
 (2) The Double Vowel-Marks ‫عالمات ال ِعلّة المزدوجة‬
The Double Vowel- marks Signs are an extension of the single
vowel-marks. The Double Vowel- marks Signs add the ‘_ n’ sound to the
single vowel. The Daal has been used to enable us to see the position of
the double vowel sign which called tanween.
Tanween refers to the double form of any vowel, the specific name
of the double vowel sign e.g. double Fatha is also given below as this is
unique for each vowel.6

ٌ‫د‬ ٌ‫د‬ ٌ‫د‬ Arabic Character

Dammataan Kasrataan Tathataan Vowel Name
un ‘in’ ‘an’ Vowel Sound
The ’un’ in The ’in’ in The ‘an’ in English word with railimis
Sun sin ran

 Fathatain ٌٌٌ‫ٌٌٌفتحتين‬
The double form of the three vowel-marks are different in in
pronunciation from the normal vowel-marks in that three is an added
‘-n’ sound. Although the Fatha makes the ‘aa’ sound, the Fathatain
makes the ‘an’ sound. The Fathatain is writtenas two Fathas above the
letter.

‫حا‬ ‫جا‬ ‫ثا‬ ‫تا‬ ‫با‬ ‫ا‬

‫سا‬ ‫زا‬ ‫را‬ ‫ذا‬ ‫دا‬ ‫خا‬
‫عا‬ ‫ظا‬ ‫طا‬ ‫ضا‬ ‫صا‬ ‫شا‬
‫ما‬ ‫ل‬ ‫كا‬ ‫قا‬ ‫فا‬ ‫غا‬
‫يا‬ ‫وا‬ ‫ها‬ ‫نا‬
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 Kasratain َ ‫َك‬
‫سرتَين‬
The Kasratain is represented by two kasras below the letter
and makes the ‘in’ sound.
‫ح‬ ‫ج‬ ‫ث‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ا‬
‫س‬ ‫ز‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ذ‬ ‫د‬ ‫خ‬
‫ع‬ ‫ظ‬ ‫ط‬ ‫ض‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ش‬
‫م‬ ‫ل‬ ‫كـ‬ ‫ق‬ ‫ف‬ ‫غ‬
‫ي‬ ‫و‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ن‬

Dammatian ‫ض َّمتَين‬
َ
Dammatian is represented by a Damma with a slight
inward ‘tail’ and is written above the letter. The Dammatain
makes the ’un’ sound.
‫ح‬ ‫ج‬ ‫ث‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ا‬
‫س‬ ‫ز‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ذ‬ ‫د‬ ‫خ‬
‫ع‬ ‫ظ‬ ‫ط‬ ‫ض‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ش‬
‫م‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ق‬ ‫ف‬ ‫غ‬
‫ي‬ ‫و‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ن‬

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Exercise: 3
*Put Fathatain on these letters and read
‫ضع فتحتين على هذه الحروف واقرأ‬

‫ث‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ا‬

‫د‬ ‫خ‬ ‫ح‬ ‫ج‬

*Put Dammatian on these letters and read

‫ضع ض ّمتين على هذه الحروف واقرأ‬

‫س‬ ‫ز‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ذ‬

‫ط‬ ‫ض‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ش‬

*Put Kasratain on these letters and read

‫ضع كسرتين على هذه الحروف واقرأ‬

‫ف‬ ‫غ‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ظ‬

‫م‬ ‫ل‬ ‫كـ‬ ‫ق‬

‫يـ‬ ‫و‬ ‫هـ‬ ‫ن‬

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 (3) Long Vowel-Marks ‫عالمات ال ِعلّة الطويل‬
The long vowel-marks are basically a combination of:
a) The single vowel.
b) A letter use to lengthen the sound of the vowel.

Alif Al-Madd ّ‫ألف ال َمد‬

The Alif al-madd is the long vowel lengthening the sound of
the fatha from ‘a’ into ‘aa’. To read the letter lengthening the
sound.
‫َحا‬ ‫َجا‬ ‫ث َا‬ ‫ت َا‬ ‫بَا‬ ‫آ‬
‫سا‬ َ ‫زَ ا‬ ‫َرا‬ ‫ذَا‬ ‫دَا‬ ‫َخا‬
‫َعا‬ َ
‫ظا‬ َ
‫طا‬ ‫ضا‬
َ ‫صا‬
َ ‫شا‬َ
‫َما‬ ‫ل‬ ‫َكا‬ ‫قَا‬ ‫فَا‬ ‫َغا‬
‫يَا‬ ‫َوا‬ ‫َها‬ ‫نَا‬

Waaw Al-Madd ّ‫واو ال َمد‬

The Waaw al-Madd is the long vowel lengthening the
sound of the Damma form ‘u’ into ‘oo’

‫ُحو‬ ‫ُجو‬ ‫ث ُو‬ ‫ت ُو‬ ‫بُو‬ ‫ا ُو‬

‫سو‬
ُ ‫ُزو‬ ‫ُرو‬ ‫ذُو‬ ‫دُو‬ ‫ُخو‬
‫عو‬ ُ ُ
‫ظو‬ ُ
‫طو‬ ‫ضو‬ُ ‫صو‬ُ ُ
‫شو‬
‫ُمو‬ ‫لُو‬ ‫ُكو‬ ‫قُو‬ ‫فُو‬ ‫غو‬ ُ
‫يُو‬ ‫ُوو‬ ‫ُهو‬ ‫نُو‬
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 Yaa Al-Madd ّ‫ياء ال َمد‬
The Yaa al-Madd is the long vowel lengthening the sound
of the kasra form ‘i’ into ‘ee’.
‫ِحي‬ ‫ِجي‬ ‫ثِي‬ ‫تِي‬ ‫ِبي‬ ‫اِي‬
‫ِسي‬ ‫ِزي‬ ‫ِري‬ ‫ِذي‬ ‫ِدي‬ ‫ِخي‬
‫ِعي‬ ‫ِظي‬ ‫ِطي‬ ‫ضي‬ ِ ‫صي‬ ِ ‫ِشي‬
‫ِمي‬ ‫ِلي‬ ‫ِكي‬ ‫ِقي‬ ‫ِفي‬ ‫ِغي‬
‫ِيي‬ ‫ِوي‬ ‫ِهي‬ ‫نِي‬

( 4 ) Shadda ‫شدَّة‬
َ ‫ال‬
The Shadda is a diacritical mark written above a letter to
show that the letter has been doubled and therefore increases in
emphasis. In reading joining the letter sound this stage of vowel
and to be attention on the sound of the letter which has the
shadda on it.
Arabic Word
‫دب‬ ‫بَـطة‬ ‫قــطـة‬
Bear Duck Cat Translation

Dubbn Battun Qittatun Transliteration

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