Arabic for Non-Native Speakers

Arabic has 28 letters. It is written and read from right to left, and most letters join to the letter after them, like joined-up handwriting.

• Many letters share the same basic shape and differ only in their dots, for example ب ت ث. Learning the letters in shape families makes them much easier.
• The letters are mostly consonants; the short vowels are small marks written above or below the letters.
• How to read our transliteration: ā ī ū are long vowels; ḥ ṣ ḍ ṭ ẓ are “heavy” sounds with no English match; ʿ is the letter ʿayn; ʾ is a short catch in the throat (hamza), like the pause in “uh-oh”.
• There are no capital letters in Arabic.

Alif is a simple upright line. The next three share one boat-like shape and differ only in their dots.

• ا — alif (أَلِف) — carries the long “ā” sound, or sits under or over a hamza (أ إ)
• ب — bāʾ (بَاء) — b, as in “book” (one dot below)
• ت — tāʾ (تَاء) — t, as in “tea” (two dots above)
• ث — thāʾ (ثَاء) — th, as in “think” (three dots above)

• ج — jīm (جِيم) — j, as in “jam” (dot below)
• ح — ḥāʾ (حَاء) — a strong breathy h from the middle of the throat, like breathing on glasses to clean them (no dot)
• خ — khāʾ (خَاء) — kh, like “ch” in the Scottish “loch” (dot above)
• د — dāl (دَال) — d, as in “door”
• ذ — dhāl (ذَال) — th, as in “this” (dot above)
• ر — rāʾ (رَاء) — a rolled r
• ز — zāy (زَاي) — z, as in “zoo” (dot above)

The heavy letters ص ض ط ظ are said with the back of the tongue raised, which gives a deeper, fuller sound.

• س — sīn (سِين) — s, as in “sun”
• ش — shīn (شِين) — sh, as in “ship” (three dots above)
• ص — ṣād (صَاد) — a heavy s
• ض — ḍād (ضَاد) — a heavy d; Arabic is called “the language of the ḍād” because this sound is so special to it
• ط — ṭāʾ (طَاء) — a heavy t
• ظ — ẓāʾ (ظَاء) — a heavy “th” as in “this”

• ع — ʿayn (عَيْن) — a deep sound squeezed from the throat; it has no English match, so listen and copy
• غ — ghayn (غَيْن) — gh, a gargling sound like the French “r” (dot above)
• ف — fāʾ (فَاء) — f, as in “fish” (one dot above)
• ق — qāf (قَاف) — q, a k said from the very back of the throat (two dots above)
• ك — kāf (كَاف) — k, as in “kite”
• ل — lām (لَام) — l, as in “lamp”
• م — mīm (مِيم) — m, as in “moon”
• ن — nūn (نُون) — n, as in “noon” (one dot above)
• ه — hāʾ (هَاء) — a light h, as in “hat”
• و — wāw (وَاو) — w, as in “water”, or the long vowel “ū”
• ي — yāʾ (يَاء) — y, as in “yes”, or the long vowel “ī” (two dots below)

Two extra signs: ء (hamza) is the short throat catch ʾ, and ة (tāʾ marbūṭa) is a form of tāʾ found at the end of many feminine words, usually said as “-a” when you stop.

Short vowels are small marks on the letters. Together with sukūn and shadda they are called tashkīl.

• فَتْحَة fatḥa — a small line above: بَ (ba)
• كَسْرَة kasra — a small line below: بِ (bi)
• ضَمَّة ḍamma — a small wāw above: بُ (bu)
• سُكُون sukūn — a small circle above: the letter has no vowel: بْ (b), as in مِنْ (min) — from
• شَدَّة shadda — a small “w” shape above: the letter is doubled: مُحَمَّد (Muḥammad), with a double “m”
• Tanwīn (double marks) adds an “n” sound at the end of a word: بٌ (bun), بٍ (bin), بًا (ban)
• Example: كَتَبَ (kataba) — he wrote

A short vowel followed by its matching letter becomes a long vowel, held for twice as long.

• fatḥa + ا = ā: بَا (bā)
• kasra + ي = ī: بِي (bī)
• ḍamma + و = ū: بُو (bū)
• نَار (nār) — fire
• دِين (dīn) — religion
• نُور (nūr) — light
• Hear the difference: كَتَبَ (kataba) — he wrote, but كَاتِب (kātib) — a writer

Most letters change shape slightly depending on where they are in a word: alone, at the start, in the middle or at the end.

• ب: alone ب — start بـ — middle ـبـ — end ـب
• ع: alone ع — start عـ — middle ـعـ — end ـع
• ه: alone ه — start هـ — middle ـهـ — end ـه
• Six letters never join to the letter after them: ا د ذ ر ز و
• بَيْت (bayt) — house: ب at the start, ي in the middle, ت at the end
• دَار (dār) — home: none of its letters join, because د and ا do not join forward

The word for “the” is الـ (al-), joined to the front of a noun. How you say it depends on the first letter of the noun.

• Moon letters: the l is pronounced. ا ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م ه و ي
• الْقَمَر (al-qamar) — the moon
• الْكِتَاب (al-kitāb) — the book
• الْبَيْت (al-bayt) — the house
• Sun letters: the l is silent, and the next letter is doubled (it gets a shadda). ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن
• الشَّمْس (ash-shams) — the sun
• النُّور (an-nūr) — the light
• الدَّرْس (ad-dars) — the lesson

Arabic numerals (١ ٢ ٣ …) are used across the Arab world. Unlike words, numbers are read from left to right, just like in English.

• ١ — وَاحِد (wāḥid) — one
• ٢ — اِثْنَان (ithnān) — two
• ٣ — ثَلَاثَة (thalātha) — three
• ٤ — أَرْبَعَة (arbaʿa) — four
• ٥ — خَمْسَة (khamsa) — five
• ٦ — سِتَّة (sitta) — six
• ٧ — سَبْعَة (sabʿa) — seven
• ٨ — ثَمَانِيَة (thamāniya) — eight
• ٩ — تِسْعَة (tisʿa) — nine
• ١٠ — عَشَرَة (ʿashara) — ten
• ٠ — صِفْر (ṣifr) — zero

• عَائِلَة (ʿāʾila) — family
• أَب (ab) — father
• أُمّ (umm) — mother
• أَخ (akh) — brother
• أُخْت (ukht) — sister
• اِبْن (ibn) — son
• بِنْت (bint) — daughter, girl
• جَدّ (jadd) — grandfather
• جَدَّة (jadda) — grandmother
• عَمّ (ʿamm) — uncle (father's brother)
• خَال (khāl) — uncle (mother's brother)
• زَوْج (zawj) — husband
• زَوْجَة (zawja) — wife

Tip: add ـِي (-ī) for “my”: أَبِي (abī) — my father, أُمِّي (ummī) — my mother.

• بَيْت (bayt) — house
• بَاب (bāb) — door
• نَافِذَة (nāfidha) — window
• غُرْفَة (ghurfa) — room
• كُرْسِيّ (kursiyy) — chair
• سَرِير (sarīr) — bed
• مَاء (māʾ) — water
• خُبْز (khubz) — bread
• طَعَام (ṭaʿām) — food
• كُوب (kūb) — cup
• مِفْتَاح (miftāḥ) — key
• سَيَّارَة (sayyāra) — car

• كِتَاب (kitāb) — book
• قَلَم (qalam) — pen
• دَفْتَر (daftar) — notebook
• دَرْس (dars) — lesson
• مُعَلِّم (muʿallim) — teacher (man); مُعَلِّمَة (muʿallima) — teacher (woman)
• طَالِب (ṭālib) — student (man); طَالِبَة (ṭāliba) — student (woman)
• مَسْجِد (masjid) — mosque
• إِمَام (imām) — the one who leads the prayer
• أَذَان (adhān) — the call to prayer
• صَلَاة (ṣalāh) — prayer
• وُضُوء (wuḍūʾ) — washing before prayer (ablution)
• قِبْلَة (qibla) — the direction of the Kaaba, which we face in prayer
• مُصْحَف (muṣḥaf) — a written copy of the Quran

• السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ (as-salāmu ʿalaykum) — Peace be upon you: the Muslim greeting
• وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ (wa ʿalaykumu s-salām) — And upon you be peace: the reply
• السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ (as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatu llāhi wa barakātuh) — Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings: the fuller, more rewarded greeting
• مَرْحَبًا (marḥaban) — Hello
• أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا (ahlan wa sahlan) — Welcome
• صَبَاحُ الْخَيْرِ (ṣabāḥu l-khayr) — Good morning; reply: صَبَاحُ النُّورِ (ṣabāḥu n-nūr)
• مَسَاءُ الْخَيْرِ (masāʾu l-khayr) — Good evening; reply: مَسَاءُ النُّورِ (masāʾu n-nūr)
• كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟ (kayfa ḥāluka?) — How are you? (to a man); كَيْفَ حَالُكِ؟ (kayfa ḥāluki?) — to a woman
• بِخَيْرٍ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ (bi-khayr, wal-ḥamdu lillāh) — Fine, all praise is for Allah
• مَا اسْمُكَ؟ (mā smuka?) — What is your name? (to a man); اِسْمِي … (ismī …) — My name is …
• مَعَ السَّلَامَةِ (maʿa s-salāma) — Goodbye

• نَعَمْ (naʿam) — Yes
• لَا (lā) — No
• مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (min faḍlika) — Please (to a man); مِنْ فَضْلِكِ (min faḍliki) — to a woman
• شُكْرًا (shukran) — Thank you
• عَفْوًا (ʿafwan) — You're welcome; also: Excuse me
• آسِف (āsif) — Sorry (said by a man); آسِفَة (āsifa) — said by a woman
• تَفَضَّلْ (tafaḍḍal) — Please, go ahead / come in (to a man); تَفَضَّلِي (tafaḍḍalī) — to a woman

Muslims everywhere use these phrases, whatever language they speak.

• بِسْمِ اللهِ (bismillāh) — In the name of Allah: before eating, drinking, and starting any good action
• الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ (al-ḥamdu lillāh) — All praise is for Allah: after eating, after sneezing, when asked how you are, and for any blessing
• إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ (in shāʾa llāh) — If Allah wills: when you talk about something you plan to do in the future
• مَا شَاءَ اللهُ (mā shāʾa llāh) — What Allah has willed: when you see or admire something good
• سُبْحَانَ اللهِ (subḥāna llāh) — Glory be to Allah: when something amazes you
• اللهُ أَكْبَرُ (Allāhu akbar) — Allah is the Greatest
• أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ (astaghfiru llāh) — I seek Allah's forgiveness: after a mistake, and often during the day
• جَزَاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًا (jazāka llāhu khayran) — May Allah reward you with good: a beautiful way to say thank you (to a woman: جَزَاكِ jazāki)
• يَرْحَمُكَ اللهُ (yarḥamuka llāh) — May Allah have mercy on you: said to someone who sneezes and says al-ḥamdu lillāh

Arabic has different words for “you” depending on whether you speak to a man or a woman.

• أَنَا (anā) — I
• أَنْتَ (anta) — you (man)
• أَنْتِ (anti) — you (woman)
• هُوَ (huwa) — he
• هِيَ (hiya) — she
• نَحْنُ (naḥnu) — we
• أَنْتُمْ (antum) — you (group)
• هُمْ (hum) — they

Endings for “my, your, his, her”: كِتَابِي (kitābī) — my book, كِتَابُكَ (kitābuka) — your book (man), كِتَابُكِ (kitābuki) — your book (woman), كِتَابُهُ (kitābuhu) — his book, كِتَابُهَا (kitābuhā) — her book.

Arabic nouns are masculine or feminine. Most feminine words end in ة (tāʾ marbūṭa). “This” and “that” change to match.

• هٰذَا (hādhā) — this (masculine)
• هٰذِهِ (hādhihi) — this (feminine)
• ذٰلِكَ (dhālika) — that (masculine)
• تِلْكَ (tilka) — that (feminine)
• هٰذَا كِتَابٌ (hādhā kitāb) — This is a book
• هٰذِهِ سَيَّارَةٌ (hādhihi sayyāra) — This is a car
• ذٰلِكَ مَسْجِدٌ (dhālika masjid) — That is a mosque
• مَا هٰذَا؟ (mā hādhā?) — What is this?
• مَنْ هٰذَا؟ (man hādhā?) — Who is this?

Good news: in the present tense, Arabic does not need a word for “am / is / are”. Just put the two words side by side. (The transliteration shows how you say each sentence when you stop at its end.)

• أَنَا طَالِبٌ (anā ṭālib) — I am a student
• هِيَ مُعَلِّمَةٌ (hiya muʿallima) — She is a teacher
• الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ (al-baytu kabīr) — The house is big
• الْمَسْجِدُ قَرِيبٌ (al-masjidu qarīb) — The mosque is near
• An adjective comes after its noun: بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ (baytun kabīr) — a big house
• A sentence can also start with a verb: ذَهَبَ أَحْمَدُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ (dhahaba Aḥmadu ila l-masjid) — Ahmad went to the mosque