Part 2: Arabic Letters Through Latin Transcriptions
x
Writing in Arabic: Important Basics
-
Arabic is written from right to left, unlike English or most European languages.
-
Books in Arabic open from the right side, so they feel like you're opening them "from the end" if you're used to Western books.
-
Numbers, however, are written from left to right, just like in English. Example: ١٢٣ = 123
Punctuation Rules in Arabic
-
The question mark is written like this: ؟ and it goes at the end of a sentence, on the right side.
-
The exclamation mark is !, just like in English, but again placed at the end from the right.
-
Arabic does not use commas ( , ) as often. Instead, we usually connect ideas using the word "و" (pronounced "w") which means "and".
Arabic Letters and Ligatures
-
Arabic is a cursive script: letters are joined together when writing.
-
The shape of a letter changes depending on whether it's at the beginning, middle, or end of a word.
-
Not all letters connect to the ones after them.
-
This concept is similar to cursive handwriting in English.
-
Don't worry about learning this all at once—you'll explore this gradually in the upcoming lessons. Just keep in mind that Arabic is not printed letter-by-letter like English.
Ready to practice what you’ve learned? Let’s see if you can answer these questions correctly!