☰ Units · Arabic A1

Masculine and feminine, the article

Unit 10 · Part B · Arabic A1 (Beginners)
3

The word “the”

Arabic A1 · Unit 10
GoalSay and read “the” with الْ in front of nouns that begin with a moon letter.
New words
الْبَيْت (al-bayt) · the houseالْكِتَاب (al-kitāb) · the bookالْقَلَم (al-qalam) · the penالْوَلَد (al-walad) · the boyالْمُعَلِّم (al-muʿallim) · the teacher (man)الْمَدِينَة (al-madīna) · the cityالْحَقِيبَة (al-ḥaqība) · the bagالْغُرْفَة (al-ghurfa) · the room
Explanation

The word “the” is the little word الْ (al). It is not written alone: it joins the front of the noun, so بَيْت (a house) becomes الْبَيْت (the house). The same الْ is used for masculine and feminine nouns. In the words of this lesson you hear the l clearly: al-bayt, al-kitāb. After a word that ends in a vowel, the a of al is dropped: فِي الْبَيْت is fī l-bayt. Here فِي (fī) means “in”. Names do not take الْ.

WithoutWith الْMeaning
بَيْتالْبَيْتhouse / the house
كِتَابالْكِتَابbook / the book
مَدْرَسَةالْمَدْرَسَةschool / the school
Worked examples
الْal+قَلَمqalam
The pen: the word “the” plus the noun, joined in one word.
الْ is the same for every noun. Listen: the book, the city, the bag.
After فِي (in) the a of al drops, so you say l-. Listen to the join.
Class activity

Add the. Write six nouns on cards without الْ: بَيْت، كِتَاب، قَلَم، وَلَد، غُرْفَة، مَدِينَة. On the back of each card write the same noun with الْ and the sukun on the lam. Read the front, turn the card over, and read the back aloud. Notice that the meaning changes from “a house” to “the house”.

Practice
1
Press Listen. Is there الْ (the) at the front of the word?
2
Write “the book” in Arabic.
3
Read aloud: فِي الْحَقِيبَة. How does the a of al sound after فِي?
4
The picture shows a pen. Which word is “the pen”: الْقَلَم or الْكِتَاب?
5
Which one is “the room”: غُرْفَة or الْغُرْفَة?