7 = ح
3 = ع
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Let's start with hamza.. I guess you know that it looks like
ء and that it's a stop. Actually, every word beginning with a vowel begins with hamza. 'if 'under 'all 'ana 'astika etc. It can also be in the middle of a word (maa'ida مائدة) or in the end of a word (maa' ماء). It can be above
alif,
yaa or
waw.
Hamza above alif = أ
Hamza above yaa' = ئ
Hamza above waw = ؤ
Pronunciation depends, of course, on vowel marks. So 'alif with hamza' can be pronounced as 'a, 'i or 'o. Vowel marks are placed as
'a أَ, fat7a above hamza.
'i إٍ kasra under hamza
'u أُ damma above hamza.
BUT yaa' with hamza can be either pronunced as 'a or 'i (mi2a مئة and waw with hamza only as 'u. (mu2min مؤمن).
In Egyptian Arabic qaaf is usually pronounced as hamza (except in words like quraan).
And, of course, if you put a sukuun above any of these, it turns to '. Just a stop. No vowel.
SUMMARY:
Hamza is a stop.
أ is either 'a, 'i or 'u
ئ is either 'a or 'i
ؤ is 'u.
THEN let's move on to i3rab el ism. It means an analysis of the noun, and it's similar to a case system..like in Finnish. But there aren't so many in Arabic.. only 3; raf3un, jarrun and nasbun.
"Case" is shown by a double vowelmark in the end of the word, which gives it -un, -in or -an ending.
-un makes the word uncertain (nouns)
-in makes the owner of something uncertain (nouns)
-an is added to the object of action (verbs)
And of course, if the word ends with a vowel, you add an extra t there..
sana - sanatun, not sanaun.
DEFINITE ARTICLE
In English you have "the" and in arabic you have "al".
I guess an example will do the best here:
House=Bayt
indefinite: baytun
definite: al-baytu
Year=Sana
indefinite: sanatun
definite: as-sanatu
When you want to make an uncertain word, you just add the ending -un to it (done by placing two damma's above the last letter of the word as بيتٌ).
And when you want to make some word certain, you add the acticle al and take off the final -n of the ending.
Note that the l of the article assimilates with these consonants:
ش س ر ز د ذ ت ث ن ل ظ ط ص ض
it means that if the word begins with some of these consonant, the l of 'al' becomes it.
Sun = shams شمس
a sun = shamsun شمسٌ
the sun = ash-shamsu (NOT al-shamsu.) الشمسُ
and as you can see, the look of the article doesn't change. only the pronounciation changes.
When you write "ash-shamsu" in arabic, you add shadda above the 'sh', and take the sukuun of l away.
الشّمسُ
EXERCISE
make these words uncertain:
سنة رجل ظلام أستكة إنسان قمر
make these words certain:
سنة رجل ظلام أستكة إنسان قمر
and then, as i promised in the title, some nice words and greetings!
Let's have a mini conversation here.
-Hello
-Hi
-What's your name?
-My name is Layla. And yours?
-My name is Ali.
-Okey.. Bye Ali.
-Bye!
-السَلام عَلِيكِ
-أهلاً
-ما اسْمُكِ؟
- إسمي لَـيْـلَـة. وانُتَ؟
- إسمي عَـلي.
-أوكي.. مع السَـلامَـة يا عَـلي
-يَـلا بَايْ
-As-salaamu 3aleyki
-Ahlan
-Maa ismuki?
-Ismee Layla. Wanta?
-Ismee 3ali.
-Owkey.. Ma3 as-salaama yaa 3ali.
-Yalla Bye.
EXPLANATIONS:
As-salaamu 3aleyki (3aleyka to male) is a greeting which means "peace on you", used as English "Hello".
Ahlan means Hi.
Maa means what
Ism = Name. Ismuka = your name (male), Ismuki = your name (female), Ismee = My name.
Ma3 as-salaama = Goodbye
Yalla bye = bye.
I think this is enough for one lesson
If something's not clear, ask away!
Have fun learning.