Question 1

Why do the words for "first" and "second" end with an alif and two small lines?

Accepted Answer

Those words are أولا (awwalan) and ثانيا (thaaniyan), meaning "firstly" and "secondly". In Arabic, you can turn many nouns or adjectives into adverbs by adding this "-an" ending. The two small lines are called a tanween, and they are usually written with an extra alif at the end of the word.

Question 2

How do I know what vowel sound starts the command verbs اقرأ and اكتب?

Accepted Answer

The starting vowel of a basic command verb depends on its present tense. For "write", the present tense is يكتب (yaktubu). Because the middle root letter has an "u" sound, the command starts with an "u" sound: uktub. For "read", the present tense is يقرأ (yaqra'u). Since the middle letter has an "a" sound instead of an "u", the command takes the default "i" sound: iqra'.

Question 3

Are the command verbs in this sentence directed at a man or a woman?

Accepted Answer

They are directed at a single male. You can tell because the verbs اقرأ (read) and اكتب (write) are in their base command form without any extra endings. If you were speaking to a female, you would add a yaa (ي) to the end of each verb, making them اقرئي (iqra'ii) and اكتبي (uktubii).

Question 4

Why is the hamza in السؤال (the question) written over a waaw (ؤ)?

Accepted Answer

Arabic spelling rules for a hamza in the middle of a word depend on the vowels around it. In السؤال (as-su'aal), the letter before it has an "u" sound, and the hamza itself has an "a" sound. The "u" sound is considered "stronger" in Arabic spelling rules, so the hamza sits on a waaw rather than an alif.

أولا، اقرأ السؤال، ثانيا، اكتب الجواب.

Breakdown of أولا، اقرأ السؤال، ثانيا، اكتب الجواب.

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