Monday, 16 July 2007

8 - The Definite Article ال

The Definite Article ال

  • ال makes a noun definite. For example Baabun (door) is A door, any door, not a specific door whereas Al-Baabu is THE door - a specific door. More examples are as follows:
معرفة - Definite نكرة - Indefinite


البيت

بيت

الكتاب

كِتَاب

المَكتَب

مَكتَب

الوَالِدُ

وَالِدٌ

المِفتَاح

مِفتَاح

السَرِير

سََرِير

الطَالِب

طَالِب

المِنديل

مِندِيل

الحَجَر

حَجَر

السَُكّر

سكّر


Definite article is often used in place names –

القاهرة

This is true in English as well “The Netherlands”

The Sudan” although the English definite wouldn’t match the Arabic definite.

So in Arabic each must be learnt with or without ال as the case may be.


7 - الأَسمَاء الاِشَارَة

الأَسمَاء الاِشَارَة

It is what indicates something which is near or far

Example

Used for…

Ism al Isharah

هَذَا مَكتَب

مفرد, مذكّر,عاقل أو غير عاقل

هَذَا

هِذِهِ مَدينَة

مفردة, مؤنثة,عاقلة أو غير عاقلة

هَذِهِ

هَذِهِ كُتُب

جَمع مُذكّر أو مُؤَنَّث غير عَاقِل

هَذِهِ

هَذِهِ لُغَات

هَذِهِ مَناتِق

هَذَانِ كِتَابَان

مُثَنَّى, مُذكَّر عَاقِل أو غير عاقل

هَذَانِ

هَاتَانِ وَالِدَتَان

مُثَنَّى, مؤَنَّث عَاقِل أو غير عاقل

هَاتَانِ

هَؤُلاَءِ أولاد

جَمع مذَكَّر عاقِل

هَؤُلاَءِ

هَؤُلاَءِ طَالبات

جَمع مُؤنث عاقِل

هَؤُلاَءِ

6 - Masculine and Feminine Words

المُذكّر و المُؤنّث

What do we know about feminine and masculine words?

  • All adjectives and nouns carry a gender
  • Proper nouns like سكرتيرة and مها take the obvious gender
  • There is no word for “it” in Arabic
  • ة almost always indicates femininity of a word
  • Nouns and adjectives must agree in gender

5 - The 3 Types of Arabic Words

All Arabic words are from one of the following catogories:

    1. حرف - This type of word does not have much of a meaning on its own but needs to be attached or with something else to make sense for example - لا - و - ب
    2. اسم - This type of word is a noun - name of place or object or is a quality and it is not affected by time.
    3. فعل - This is a word which indicates an action or occurance.

Sunday, 17 June 2007

4- The Arabic Numbers

one = Wahid

two = Ithinin

three = Thalatha

four = Arba'a

five = Khamsa

six = Sita

seven = Saba'a

eight = Thamania

nine = Tisa'a

ten = Ashara


eleven = Hidashar

twelve = Itnashar

thirteen = Talatashar

fourteen = Arbatashar

fifteen = Kamastashar

sixteen = Sitashar

seventeen = Sabatashar

eighteen = Tamantashar

nineteen = Tisatashar

twenty = Ishrin

twenty one = Wahid wa Ishrin


thirty = Talatin

forty = Arba'ain

fifty = Kamisin

sixty = Sitin

seventy = Saba'ain

eighty = Tamanin

ninety = Tisain

one hundred = Mia'a

one thousand = Alf

one million = Millio'an]

To listen to the numbers in Arabic go to : http://muttaqun.com/arabic/numbers.html

3- Vowels

Arabic Vowels

  • Short vowels (harakat) "a" "i" and "u"
  • Doubled short vowel represents nunation.
  • Long vowels "aa" "ii" and "uu" - Long voiwels lengthen the short vowels
  • Shaddah - doubled letter This is a repeater sign which indicates a double letter which must be distinctly pronounced twice, (double consonant)
  • Sukun (jazm) Link sign - Sukun (jazm) resembles a semi-circle which appears over a consonant. its function is to link its previous letter and form a single sound. No word can begin wiht a sukun.
  • Maddah - Elongation

Note for Lesson : Reading Vowel Practice Needed



2- Points of Articulation

Makharij al-Huroof
Articulation points for the Arabic Letters

  • Makhraj means the place of exit or origin.
  • Every letter in Arabic has a special Makhraj from which a letter is pronounced.

Various Articulation Points