Tag: travel

Learning Arabic can be very intimidating and may take a long time, however, there are a number of practical methods to successfully do that. First of all, you have to learn the Arabic alphabet and memorize the names of its letters, their sounds, and their shapes and forms. The Arabic letters take on up to four different shapes depending on their position in a word: Isolated, initial, medial or final. Often, there are systematic relationships between those different shapes. Moreover, many letters share a common base and are distinguished from one another by additional signs (usually dots) above or below their central part. Contextual formsArabic NameEnglish NameTranslit.DescriptionIsolatedEndMiddleBeginningا‎ـﺎ‎ـﺎ‎ا‎الفʾalifʾ / āʾalif is a long "a" sound as in the word "salaam" or as in "apple".ﺏ‎ـب‎ـبـ‎بـ‎باءbāʾbbāʾ is the equivalent of the English letter "b". It is pronounced like the "b" in "boy"ﺕ‎ـت‎ـتـ‎تـ‎تاءtāʾttāʾ is one of two "t" sounds, this one is almost like a little "t". It is pronounced like the "t" in "ten".ﺙ‎ـث‎ـثـ‎ثـ‎ثاءṯāʾṯṯāʾ is pronounced like the "th" in the words "thought" and "thanks"ﺝ‎ـج‎ـجـ‎جـ‎جيمǧīmǧ (also j, g)ǧīm is pronounced like the English "j" such as in the names "Jim" and "Jill".ﺡ‎ـح‎ـحـ‎حـ‎حاءḥāʾḥḥāʾ has no exact equivalent in the English language. It is similar to an "h" but it's heavier. When you are trying to pronounce it try panting while saying "ha".ﺥ‎ـخ‎ـخـ‎خـ‎خاءḫāʾḫ (also kh, x)ḫāʾ(khaa') has no English equivilent. The closest translation would be to pronounce it like the "ch" in the German word "Bach." Contextual formsArabic NameEnglish NameTranslit.DescriptionIsolatedEndMiddleBeginningﺩ‎ـد‎ـد‎د‎دالdālddāl is similar to the English "d". It is pronounced like the "d" in the word "dream" or in "dead".ﺫ‎ـذ‎ـذ‎ذ‎ذالḏālḏ (also dh, ð)In North African countries, such as Morocco, ḏāl is pronounced like the "th" in the words "this" and "that". however, this letter has no English equivalent in Middle Eastern countries. It is somewhat similar to a "z" but not exactly. Try saying "z" with a "d" in front of it "dz".ﺭ‎ـر‎ـر‎ر‎راءrāʾrrāʾ is similar to the rolled "r" in Spanish. As in the word "arriba".ﺯ‎ـز‎ـز‎ز‎زايzāyzzāy is similar to the English "z". it is pronounced like the "z" in the word "zoo".ﺱ‎ـس‎ـسـ‎سـ‎سينsīnssīn is similar to the English "s". It is pronounced as the "s" in the words "skin" and "Steve".ﺵ‎ـش‎ـشـ‎شـ‎شينšīnš (also sh)šīn (sheen) is similar to the English letter combination "sh". It is pronounced as the "s" in the words "ship" and "sheet".ﺹ‎ـص‎ـصـ‎صـ‎صادṣādṣṣād has no English equivalent but it is a velarized "s", similar to "s" but produced by elevating the tongue toward the velar ridge.ﺽ‎ـض‎ـضـ‎ضـ‎ضادḍādḍdād has no English equivalent but it is similar to a "d". It's a deeper "d " pronounced with the tongue raised high against the velar ridge. Contextual formsArabic NameEnglish NameTranslit.DescriptionIsolatedEndMiddleBeginningﻁ‎ـط‎ـطـ‎طـ‎طاءṭāʾṭṭāʾ has no English equivalent but it is similar to a "t". It's like a hard "t". It's a deeper "t" pronounced with the tongue raised high against the velar ridge.ﻅ‎ـظ‎ـظـ‎ظـ‎ظاءDhaʾ/ẓāʾẓwhile in North African countries, like Morocco, this letter is pronounced as a velarized counterpart to ḏāl, It's pronounced as a velarized counterpart to "z" in Middle Eastern countries (including Egypt).ﻉ‎ـع‎ـعـ‎عـ‎عينʿaynʿʿayn is probably the hardest sound for an English speaker to produce. It has no English equivalent at all and does not even sound close to any letter in the English language. It feels and sounds somewhat like you are gagging while saying "ah". It's like the first sound in the hip-hop "a'ight."ﻍ‎ـغ‎ـغـ‎غـ‎غينġaynġ (also gh)ġayn is another unfamiliar sound for an English speaker to produce. it is pronounced like the French "r" in "France".ف‎ـف‎ـفـ‎فـ‎فاءfāʾffāʾ is similar to the English "f".It is pronounced like the "f" in the words "fun" and "life"ﻕ‎ـق‎ـقـ‎قـ‎قافqāfqqāf has no exact English equivalent although it is sometimes similar to the English letter "q". To pronounce it close the back of your throat and say "chough".ﻙ‎ـك‎ـكـ‎كـ‎كافkāfkkāf is similar to the English "k". It is pronounced like the "k" in the words "Keven" and "kit".ﻝ‎ـل‎ـلـ‎لـ‎لامlāmllām is similar to the English "l". It is pronounced like the "l" in the words "luck" and "love".ﻡ‎ـم‎ـمـ‎مـ‎ميمmīmmmīm is similar to the English "m". It is pronounced like the "m" in the words "month" and "mice". Contextual formsArabic NameEnglish NameTranslit.DescriptionIsolatedEndMiddleBeginningن‎ـن‎ـنـ‎نـ‎نونnūnnnūn is similar to the English "n". It is pronounced like the "n" in the words "noon" and "night".ﻩ‎ـه‎ـهـ‎هـ‎هاءhāʾhhāʾ is similar to the English "h". It is pronounced like the "h" in the words "have" and "hat". Ho! Ho! Ho!ﻭ‎ـو‎ـو‎و‎واوwāww / ū / awwāw is similar to the English letters "w" and "o". It is pronounced like the "w" in the words "waow" and "William". It is pronounced like the "oo" in the words "food" and "good".ﻱ‎ـي‎ـيـ‎يـ‎ياءyāʾy / ī / ayyāʾ is similar to the English "y". It is pronounced like the "y" in the words "yellow" and "yes". It is also pronounced like the "ee" in "breeze" and "freeze". Sometimes the letter ي (yāʾ) will appear without its two dots underneath it. this will be addressed in later lessons. Additional Combinations and Signs Contextual formsNameTranslit.IsolatedEndMiddleBeginningأ‎ـأ‎ـأ‎أ‎ʾalif hamzaáإ‎ـإ‎ـإ‎إ‎ʾalif low hamzaąﺁ‎ـآ‎ـآ‎آ‎ʾalif maddaʾāﺓ‎ـة‎ـة‎ﺓ‎tāʾ marbūṭa‎h ort / h / ẗﻯ‎ـى‎ ‎ ‎ʾalif maqṣūraä The only two-letter combination to have a separate form in the alphabet is the combination lām + ʼalif:- Isolated: ﻻ‎- final or medial: ـﻼ‎ The Arabic alphabet has been adapted to countless languages, such as Persian, Ottoman, Urdu, Malay, and Pashto. These Languages use the same writing system as in Arabic with slightly/significantly modified shapes to write any additional letters that show a structural difference from Arabic.

Tag: travel

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