This lesson introduces vocabulary to help you talk about the Arabic language itself, including its structure, punctuation, and how it sounds.
Letters and Sentences
At the most basic level of written language is the "letter" (حرف). The plural is حروف. When talking about how to say these letters out loud, use the verb "to pronounce" (نطق).
| These are Arabic letters. | هذه حروف عربية.hâdhihi hurûfun 'arabiyyah |
| How do you pronounce this letter? | كيف تنطق هذا الحرف؟kayfa tantiqu hâdhâ al-harfa? |
Letters form words, and words combine into a "sentence" (جملة). The plural of جملة is جمل. When learning new Arabic sentences, you will often need to ask for their "meaning" (معنى).
| These are short sentences. | هذه جمل قصيرة.hâdhihi jumalun qasîratun |
| What is the meaning of this sentence? | ما معنى هذه الجملة؟mâ ma'nâ hâdhihil jumlah? |
Phrases, Punctuation, and Lines
A group of words that functions as a single unit is a "phrase" (عبارة).
| I heard a phrase I do not know. | سمعت عبارة لا أعرفها.sami'tu 'ibâratan lâ a'rifuhâ. |
When writing phrases and sentences, you need punctuation. The word for a "comma" is فاصلة. These elements are written on a "line" (سطر) of text.
| The student forgot a comma here. | نسيت الطالبة فاصلة هنا.nasiyati t-tâlibatu fâsilatan hunâ |
| My friend is writing a sentence on this line. | يكتب صديقي جملة على هذا السطر.yaktubu sadîqî jumlatan 'alâ hâdha s-satri. |
Brackets, Spelling, and Dialects
Another common punctuation mark is the "bracket" (قوس). Because words are usually placed "between" (بين) two brackets, you will often see it in the genitive dual form قوسين.
| I put the word between two brackets. | وضعت الكلمة بين قوسين.wadaatu al-kalimata bayna qawsayni |
Writing words correctly requires good "spelling" or "dictation" (إملاء).
| The spelling of this sentence is very difficult. | إملاء هذه الجملة صعب جدا.imlâ'u hâdhihi l-jumlati sa'bun jiddan |
Finally, when speaking, the way a language sounds can vary greatly depending on the region. A specific regional variety of a language is called a "dialect" (لهجة).
| I heard a dialect I do not understand. | سمعت لهجة لا أفهمها.sami'tu lahjatan lâ afhamuhâ |