Basic Arabic

BASIC ARABICFL-101

Group 6

Arabic History

It is one of the world’s major languages. It is widely spoken on Two Continent’s entire breadth of North Africa, to the Arabian Peninsula and Entire Middle East.

It is the official language of Eighteen Countries with a total population of about 120 Million, placing it among the Top 10 tongues of the planet in number of speakers.

such as follows:

Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, South Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E), Bahrain and Qatar.

In 1973, the language was formally recognized by the United Nations (U.N), together with their Numerical, Geographical, Political and Cultural Status.

Arabic is one of the Sixth Official Language all over the world and the other’s are English, French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese.

The Arabic Alphabet and Writing System

There are Twenty Eight Letters (28) in the Arabic Alphabet. All Arabic Letters are considered to be consonants. However, three letters such as

Alif (۱), Waw( و) and Ya (Alif(ا), Waw(و), and Ya(ي), are also used as Elongative Vowels. Note:

Arabic is written from Right to Left. The Arabic letters in the top line and their approximate pronunciation (and their symbols in brackets).

Arabic Alphabetخ ح ج ث ت ب اKHA HA JIM THA TA BA ALIF

“ kh ” “ h ” “ j ” “ th ” “ t ” “ b ” “ a ”

ص ش س ز ر ذ دSAD SHIN SIN ZAI RA DHAL DAL

“ s’ ” “ sh ” “ s ” “ z ” “ r ” “ dh ” “d”

ق ف غ ع ظ ط ضQAF FA GHAIN ‘AIN ZAD T’A DAD

“ q ” “ f ” “ gh “ “ ’a ” “z” “ t’ ” “ d’ ”

ي ه و ن م ل كYA H’A WAW NUN MIM LAM KAF“ y ” “ h’ ” “ w ” “ n ” “ m ” “ l ” “ k ”

The Eleven (11) Arabic Peculiar Sound

Apart from the ordinary sounds available in the Indian Languages especially Hindi are Eleven (11) sounds in the Arabic language which may be termed as a very Peculiar of Arabic.

The sounds are as follows: (Read from Right to Left)

ص ض ذ خ ح ث

Dhad SadDhal Kha Ha Tha

ق غ ع ظ ط

Qaf Ghain ‘Ain Zad T’a

Guidelines of the learner’s to say these sounds as close to the correct sound as possible.

Put the tip of the tongue on the inner ثedge of the upper teeth. It should be said like “th” in Elizabeth.

خ For saying this sound, also only your throat functions. This sound may be compared with the snoring of a person.

ح Only your throat shall be function to say this sound. Sound thus made will be heavy “H” and this is precisely what we know as Arabic.

ذ This sound can be said by putting the tip of tongue on the inner side of the upper teeth. This sound may be compared with soft “dh” sound as in Dhow.

.Give your tongue the shape of a shallow bowl صSlowly close your mouth when you intend to say this sound. This sound may be compared with the “s” sound as in a blast.

ض Shape of your tongue and other instruction remaining the same as in Sad, except only that the tip of the tongue shall join the palate at the roots of the upper teeth both before and after saying the sound. This sound may be compared with “d” as in dad.

Put the tip of the tongue on the frontal طpalate and shape of the tongue remains the same. This sound may be compared with “f” as in flat.

Shape of the tongue remains the same as ظin the foregoing sound. This tongue will have to be withdrawn when you intend to say the sound.

ع Open your mouth at half its capacity. It may be remembered have only the throat functions to say this sound.

غ Open your mouth at half its capacity. This sound is very close to “t” in the French language. It may also be compared with the strong gargling sound.

ق Stop the breath in the throat. Open your mouth moderately. Lower the uvula and lift the root of the tongue.

FOUR (4) DIFFERENT SHAPES

1. Independent Shape – As would be evident from the word independent. Each letter is written independent of the other i.e., one letter separate from the other.

2. Initial Shape – It is intended to mean the shapes of the letters in the beginning of the words.

 3. Medial Shape – It is intended to mean the shape of the letters somewhere between the first and the last letters of a word.

4. Terminal Shape – It is intended to mean the shapes of the letters at the end of the word.

Different Shapes of Arabic Alphabet

JOINT SHAPE TERMINAL SHAPE

MEDIAL SHAPE INITIAL SHAPE INDEPENDENT SHAPE

---- ـا ---- ---- اببب ـب ـبـ بـ ب

تتت ـت ـتـ تـ ت

ثثث ـث ـثـ ڎـ ث

ججج ـج ـجـ جـ ج

ححح ـح ـحـ حـ ح

خخخ ـخ ـخـ خـ خ

---- ـد ---- د د

---- ـذ ---- ذ ذ

---- ـر ---- ر ر

---- ـز ---- ز ز

سسس ـس ـسـ سـ س

ششش ـش ـشـ شـ ش

صصص ـص ـصـ صـ ص

ضضض ـض ـضـ ضـ ض

ططط ـط ـطـ طـ ط

ظظظ ـظ ـظـ ظـ ظ

ععع ـع ـعـ عـ ع

غغغ ـغ ـغـ غـ غ

ففف ـف ـفـ فـ ف

ققق ـق ـقـ قـ ق

ککك ـك ـکـ کـ ك

للل ـل ـلـ لـ ل

ممم ـم ـمـ مـ م

ننن ـز ـنـ نـ ں

ھھھ ـه ـھـ ھـ ہ

---- ـو ---- و و

ييي ـي ـيـ یـ ي

The Vowels

Fatha Sign – This mark َـ written on the top of the Arabic letter is called Fatha and stands for short ( a). This vowel is pronounced as “a”.

Arabic Alphabet Using FATHA Sign:

Word Character

A G ا

Ba Gَب

Ta Gَت

Tha Gث

Kasra Sign – This mark ِـِـ written below the Arabic letter is called Kasra

which stands for short “i”. This pronounced as the vowel in “Tin”.

Arabic Alphabet Using KASRA Sign:

Word Character

I K ا

Bi Kَب

Ti Kَت

Thi Kث

Damma Sign – This mark ُـ on the Arabic letter stands for short “u”. This “u”

is pronounced like vowel in “Pull”. This mark is called in Arabic DAMMA.

Arabic Alphabet Using DAMMA Sign:

Word Character

U M ا

Bu Mَب

Tu Mَت

Thu Mث

Long vowels

The Alif Almadd/Madda – If the letter Alif (ا) comes after an alphabet

with fatha َـ , then this alif will be pronounced like double fatha

and this “a” is pronounced like “a” of “father”.

Sound Joint Unjoint

Baa با ا َب

Taa تا ا َت

Thaa ثا ا ث

Jaa جا ا ج

The Waw Almadd/Madda – If the letter Waw (و) with sukoon ْـ comes

after an alphabet with dammah ُـ then this Waw which is called

Waw Maddah will be pronounced like double Dammah “u” and this

“u” is pronounced like the vowel of “food”.

Sound Joint Unjoint

Buu VوM ب Vو Mَب

Tuu VوM ت Vو Mَت

Thuu VوM ث Vو Mث

Juu Vو Mج جM و V

The Ya Almadd/Maddah - If the letter Ya with sukoon ْـ comes after an

alphabet with kasra ِـ , then this Ya Madda will be pronounced like

double vowel kasra ِـ , “i” and this “i” is pronounced like the vowel of

“deep”.

Sound Joint Unjoint

Bii VْيK ب Vي Kَب

Tii VْيK ت Vي Kَت

Thii VْيK ث ي Kث

Jii VْيKج Vي Kج

Tanween or Arabic Nunation-It’s an “n” sound added to the end of the word in

certain circumstances.

-Is indicated by double the short vowel at the end of the word.Three types of Tanween

Fatha Tanween - is pronounced “en” as in “then”, “when”, “men” and etc. Even though many native Arabic speaker uses “an” to indicate it, since “a” maps to the “aaaa” sound “en” is probably more indicate. 

Arabic Alphabet Using FATHATAIN/FATHATAN Sign: Word Character

An Z ا

Ban Zَب

Tan Zَت

Than Zث

Jan Zج

Kasra Tanween -is pronounce “in” as in “in”, “sin”, “fin” and etc.

Arabic Alphabet Using KASRATAIN/KASRATAN Sign:

Word Character

In [ ا

Bin َب]

Tin َت]

Thin ث]

Jin ج]

Damma Tanween - is pronounced as a short “oo” followed by an “n”.

Arabic Alphabet Using Dammatain/Dammatan Sign:

Word Character

Un \ ا

Bun َب\

Tun َت\

Thun ث\

Jun ج\

Absence of vowel SukoonThis circle ْـ above the letter is called

Sukoon. It indicates that such a letter is not followed by any vowels sound, but the alphabet with sukoon is joined with the former alphabet.

Arabic Alphabet with Vowel SUKOON Sign:

Word Character

Bat VْتG ب

Tab VْبG ت

Tath VْثG ت

Jam VْمGج

Han VْنGَح

Shaddah-this sign ّـ written above the Arabic alphabet is called Shaddah. The

Alphabet with Shaddah is joined with the former alphabet and will be

pronounced twice like the letter “s” in dis-solve.

Arabic Alphabet with Shadda Sign:

Word Character

Tassa fَّسG ت

Bamma fْمG ب

Qarra fَّرGَق

Mimma fْمKِم

Tabbatha Gْثf Gَّب ت

Maddah

-this Arabic alphabet with mark آ will be prolonged three(3) or four(4) times. Arabic Alphabet with Maddah Sign: Word Character Bāā Gا ااااااااااااااب Tāā ۤا� َت� Thāā ۤا� َت� Jāā ٓا Gج

End…

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GROUP 6

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