Lesson 4

The letter ن and the sound /n/

The letter ن (noon) is pronounced similar to the English /n/. It connects both ways and has four graphic shapes (see from right to left):

The size and placement of the noon on the line is clear from the comparison with alif:

ان ننن

Before the final noon, the connecting line from the previous letter lies slightly above the line of the string.

Exercise 1. Read from right to left. Write it down 5 times.

نَ نِ نُ نُنْ نِنْ نَنْ نَنُنِ نِنُنَ نَنِنُ

The audio for نَ نُ نِ:

Exercise 2. Read by pronouncing the consonant and vowel sounds correctly and paying attention to the vowel length. The stress is on the first syllable, and if there is a long syllable, then it’s on the long syllable. Write it down in columns and give the transcription.

Exercise 3. Write down in a column in Arabic letters with vowel marks.

/nabðuru, bābāni, nārun, nādirun, bintun, nabātun, nabātātun, zurnā, ðubna, dārāni, bardānun, ðābat, dārā, baðarnā, ðanabun/

The letter ي and the sound /j/.

The letter ي (jaa) is pronounced like the sound of the English letter ‘y’ in the word ‘yes.’ It connects both ways and has four graphic shapes (see from right to left):

Its size and placement on the line is clear from the comparison with alif:

اي ييي

In front of the final form of jaa, the connecting line from the previous letter lies slightly above the line, and the right curve of jaā may go under the previous letter. The dots in the isolated and final forms of jaa are not obligatory and are required only to distinguish them from the same letter, which serves as the bearer of hamza or denotes the length of the final /ā/.

Exercise 4. Read from right to left. Write it down 5 times.

يَ يُ يِ يَيَ يُيُ يِيِ يَيِيُ يُيَيِ يِيُيَ

The audio for يَ يُ يِ:

Exercise 5. Read the following.

Exercise 6. Read by pronouncing the consonant and vowel sounds correctly and paying attention to the vowel length. Write it down in columns and give the transcription.

Diphthong /aj/

If the sound /j/ (jaa with sukoon) ends a syllable containing the short vowel /a/, then /j/ together with the preceding /a/ forms the diphthong /aj/. It can also sound like /ej/.

Exercise 7. Read the following.

Exercise 8. Read by pronouncing consonants, vowels and the diphthong /aj/ correctly. Write it down, transcribe, underline the diphthongs in the transcription.

Exercise 9. Write down the transcribed words in Arabic letters with vowel marks.

/jadāni, jadajni, bintun, bajtun, nawādiru, nādiratajni, zijāratāni, ðanabajni, tarajna, jabðurāni, jurādu, dajrajni, bintajni, zajdānun, dajnun, nārāni/

The diphthong /aw/

If a syllable containing a short vowel /a/ ends with a consonant /w/ (waw with sukoon), a diphthong /aw/ is formed. In this diphthong /a/ is pronounced with rounded lips, /w/ is weakened, and the whole diphthong is closer to /ow/.

Exercise 10. Read by pronouncing the diphthong /aw/ correctly.

دَوْ رَوْ بَوْ تَوْ يَوْ ذَوْ ثَوْ زَوْ نَوْ

Exercise 11. Read by pronouncing consonants, vowels and diphthongs correctly. Write down, transcribe, and underline the diphthongs in the transcription.

Exercise 12. Write down the transcribed words in Arabic letters.

/θawrun, ðawbun, ðawabānun, dawrun, θawbun, θawbāni, tarawna, jazurna, θawratunā, ðawdun, dajrajni, bawādiru, nawātāni, zajdun, dawarānun/

The long vowels /ī/ and /ū/

In addition to the long vowel /ā/, Arabic has long vowels /ī/ and /ū/. The length of these vowels is indicated in writing by the letters jaa and waw respectively. The letter jaa in this case is written after the letter with the vowel mark /i/, while waw is after the letter with the vowel mark /u/. At the same time, jaa or waw have no vowels marks themselves and do not denote any independent sounds (compare with the letter alif in the same function):

Thus, each of the letters jaa and waw in Arabic script fulfils two different functions: they either denote the consonant sounds /j/ and /w/, in which case they have their own vowel marks, or they denote the length of the preceding vowels /i/ and /u/, in which case they do not have their own vowel marks.

The difference in the pronunciation of long and short vowels must be very carefully observed.

Exercise 13. Compare the pronunciation of short and long vowels.

Exercise 14. Read by pronouncing the consonant sounds correctly and observing the length of the vowels. Write down with transcription.

Exercise 15. Write down in Arabic letters.

/θāra, jazīdu, nīrānun, taðūbīna, bāridun, barīdun, bārūdun, nūrun, jazūrāni, watīrātun, tabrīdun, wūrida, tabītu, tuθīru, dīnun, dūna, tabjībun, jūraθu, tarawna, jazīdūna/

Syllable divisions and syllable types

A. The rules for dividing an Arabic word into syllables are as follows:

1. It is not the written form of a word that is to be divided into syllables, but the sound form of a word, which can be represented by transcription.
2. A syllable always begins with a consonant sound.
3. A syllable always contains one vowel sound.
4. When two consonants not separated by a vowel meet in a word, the syllable division is between them.

B. A syllable ending in a vowel is called open (e.g. /-da-/, /-dā-/); a syllable ending in a consonant is called closed (e.g. /-dar-/).

C. Short syllables are open syllables that contain a short vowel (e.g. /-da-/).

D. Long syllables are: first of all, open syllables that contain a long vowel (e.g. /-dā-/); secondly, all closed syllables (e.g. /-dar-/).

Exercise 16. Divide the transcription of the words given in exercise 14 into syllables, underline the long syllables.

ðabātātun, θawrāni, wazīrun, nūrun; ðawā, ðawī, ðаwū, bajtun; waradat, zūrū, nīrun, tazwīdun; dīwānun, nabīðun, θawrun, ðawaj; dawrāni, najānun, tartībun, waθīrun; juθīru, zāratā, nādirun, zūrā; waradatā, wuridat, ðanabun, watarun

Stress

A. The place of the main stress in an Arabic word is determined by the following rules:

1. In two-syllable words, the main stress is always on the first syllable: /'baj/tun/, /'nu/run/, /'ða/wā/.
2. In polysyllabic words, the stress falls on the third syllable from the end of the word if the second syllable from the end is short: /'ða/na/bun/, /wа/'ra/da/tā/; if the second syllable from the end is long, the stress falls on that second syllable from the end: /wа/'rad/tu/, /wа/'zī/run/. See also C, D points above.

B. The secondary stress falls on those long syllables that did not receive the main stress according to the above rules, e.g.:

/nū/run, zā/ra/tā, na/bā/tā/tun, tar/tī/bun/

(red is the main stress, blue is the secondary stress)

C. Consequently, an Arabic word may have one or two secondary stresses in addition to one main stress. The difference between the main stress and the secondary stress is as follows: the main stress is the emphasis of one of the syllables by the force of exhalation (and therefore the loudness of pronunciation) with a simultaneous increase in the tone of voice, while the secondary stress is only forceful and is not accompanied by an increase in tone.

The alternation of main- stressed, secondary- stressed and unstressed syllables, as well as long and short syllables constitute the characteristic rhythm of Arabic speech, without mastering which it is impossible to learn to speak Arabic correctly.

It should be remembered that the long vowel does not always coincide with the main stress and it is necessary to pronounce carefully all long syllables, not only those on which the main stress falls.

Exercise 17. Mark the main and secondary stress in words divided into syllables in exercise 16 (given in the input form below). Practise their rhythmically correct pronunciation when reading in Arabic script exercise 14 (given under the input form below).

ða/bа̄/tа̄/tun, θaw/rа̄/ni, wa/zī/run, nū/run; ða/wā, ða/wī, ðа/wū, baj/tun; wa/ra/dat, zū/rū, nī/run, taz/wī/dun; dī/wа̄/nun, na/bī/ðun, θaw/run, ða/waj; daw/rа̄/ni, na/jа̄/nun, tar/tī/bun, wa/θī/run; ju/θī/ru, zа̄/ra/tа̄, nа̄/di/run, zū/rа̄; wa/ra/da/tа̄, wu/ri/dat, ða/ba/bun, wa/ta/run

Exercise 18. Write down, transcribe and memorise the following words. Pay attention to the main and secondary stress.

The audio for these words without the ending -un:

The place of the attribute

In Arabic, unlike English, the attribute expressed by an adjective is placed after the noun being modified, e.g.:

Exercise 19. Write down, transcribe and memorise the word combinations above.