Lesson 3 · الـ
The (al-) and describing things
Add الـ (al-) to the front of a noun to make it definite: كِتَابٌ (a book) becomes الْكِتَابُ (the book), and the -un ending shortens to -u. Put a describing word after a definite noun and you have a full sentence: الْكِتَابُ جَدِيدٌ, “The book is new”.
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
الْكِتَابُ جَدِيدٌal-kitaabu jadiidunThe book is new
الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌal-baytu kabiirunThe house is big
الْقَلَمُ قَدِيمٌal-qalamu qadiimunThe pen is old
الْوَلَدُ صَغِيرٌal-waladu ṣaghiirunThe boy is small
الْقَمَرُ جَمِيلٌal-qamaru jamiilunThe moon is beautiful
الْمَاءُ بَارِدٌal-maa’u baaridunThe water is cold
الشَّمْسُash-shamsuthe sun (sun letter: no l sound)
الرَّجُلُar-rajuluthe man (sun letter)
Key points
- Definite noun + description = sentence: الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ (The house is big). Again, there is no word for “is”.
- Sun letters: before ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن the l of al- is silent and the next letter is doubled: الشَّمْسُ is ash-shamsu, not al-shamsu.
- Moon letters: before all the other letters you hear the l clearly: الْقَمَرُ, al-qamaru.
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Make it definite: بَيْتٌ
الْبَيْتُ al-baytu
Sun or moon letter: الْقَلَمُ?
الْقَلَمُ al-qalamu
Moon letter: you hear the l.
Say “The house is big”.
الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ al-baytu kabiirun