Beginner Guide To The Alphabet For Levantine And Formal Arabic

Urban Arabic Book 1: Beginner's Guide To The Alphabet For Levantine And Formal Arabic

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Language	:	English
File size	:	42265 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	194 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

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Arabic is a beautiful and complex language with a rich history and culture. It is the official language of 26 countries and is spoken by over 300 million people worldwide. There are many different dialects of Arabic, but the two most widely spoken are Levantine Arabic and Formal Arabic.

Levantine Arabic is spoken in the Levant region, which includes countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. It is also spoken by many people in the diaspora, including in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Formal Arabic is the standard form of Arabic that is used in writing, education, and government. It is also the language of the Quran, the holy book of Islam.

If you are interested in learning Arabic, it is important to choose which dialect you want to learn. If you are planning on living or working in the Levant region, then Levantine Arabic is the more practical choice. However, if you are interested in studying the Quran or other religious texts, then Formal Arabic is the better option.

The Arabic Alphabet

The Arabic alphabet is an abjad, which means that it consists of only consonants. Vowels are not written, but are instead indicated by diacritical marks. There are 28 letters in the Arabic alphabet, but only 26 of them are used in Levantine Arabic.

The following table shows the Arabic alphabet, along with the corresponding pronunciation in both Levantine and Formal Arabic:

Vowels

As mentioned above, vowels are not written in Arabic. However, they are indicated by diacritical marks. There are three main vowel diacritics:

• Fatḥah: This diacritic is a small line above the letter. It indicates the short vowel "a".
• Kasrah: This diacritic is a small line below the letter. It indicates the short vowel "i".
• Ḍammah: This diacritic is a small circle above the letter. It indicates the short vowel "u".

In addition to the short vowels, there are also two long vowels: "ā" and "ī". These vowels are indicated by a macron over the letter.

Consonants

The Arabic alphabet has 28 consonants. The following table shows the consonants, along with their pronunciation:

Writing Arabic

Arabic is written from right to left. Words are written in a continuous line, with no spaces between them. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, such as when writing numbers or foreign words.

The Arabic alphabet is a beautiful and complex writing system. With a little practice, you will be able to master it and start reading and writing Arabic.

I hope this beginner guide to the alphabet for Levantine and Formal Arabic has been helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading!

Urban Arabic Book 1: Beginner's Guide To The Alphabet For Levantine And Formal Arabic

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	42265 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	194 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE