Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/Read-the-Vowels

Grammar ➡ Learning to read in Arabic: the vowels

➡ In today's lesson, you will learn how to read the vowels in Arabic.

Hi there !

You are here because you are about to learn the vowels so you can read a sentence in Arabic.

Before starting to read this course you must confirm that you already know the Arabic alphabet by heart.

If this is not the case, I suggest you review them either via the Arabic alphabet course.

If so, then let's get started!

Remember that we read from right to left.

We will start from the letter "ba": ب

We know that we only default to the pronunciation "b" when using this letter on a word.

The vowels

In the Arabic language there are 2 types of vowels: short vowels & long vowels

There are 4 short vowels

1. the fatha (الْفَتْحَة): it corresponds to a small line on the letter and is pronounced "a". Example: بَ = ba
2. the kasra (الكَسْرَة): it corresponds to a small line under the letter and is pronounced "i". Example: بِ = bi
3. the damma (الضَّمَّة): it is represented by a small "waw" on the letter and is pronounced "ou". Example: بُ = bou
4. the soukoune (السُّكُون): it is represented by a small circle on the letter and represents the absence of a vowel. Example: بْ = ab. We will come back to the second point.

There are 3 long vowels

1. the alif (ا): is always preceded by a letter carrying a fatha.
2. the waw (و): is always preceded by a letter carrying a dhamma.
3. the ya (ي): is always preceded by a letter bearing a kasra.

1. the alif is used to prolong the fatha. Example: بَا (baa)
2. the ya is used to prolong the kasra. Example: بِي (bii)
3. the waw is used to prolong the damma. Example: بُو (boo)

Another point: It is possible to read بًا

Are you going to tell me what's going on with two lines above now? Well, we simply add the "n" sound at the end of the vowel, we call it "tanwin":

• For the tanwin with fatha we add a 2nd line to the fatha an alif (ا) which gives us the sound "ane" (بـًا = bane)
• For the tanwin with kasra we add a 2nd line to the kasra which gives us the sound "ine" (بٍ = bine)
• For the tanwin with damma we add a 2nd small waw to the dhamma which gives us the sound "oun" (بٌ = boun)

Note the writing for "boun" we have doubled the letter و above the consonant but it can also be written this way.

Small particularity: At the end of the word only, the long vowel ا "aa" is sometimes written ى.

This ى is called alif maqsoura (أَلِفٌ مَقْصُورَة). Example: ضحى

Soukoune (no vowel)

It's very simple, just don't pronounce a vowel for the letter impacted by the sokoune (the small circle above).

An example to understand: كَلْبٌ: An error would be to read this word "kalaboune". Indeed it should be read "kalboune".

Other Lessons

• Negations
• DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
• Adjectives
• Word order
• Conjugation of the verb to write in the imperfect
• THE DECLENSION OF THE DUAL
• THE USE OF THE AFFIXED PERSONAL PRONOUNS
• AFFIXED PERSONAL PRONOUNS
• Accents