GoalKnow which letters make the l of الْ silent and read nouns with الْ before the sun letters.
New words
الشَّمْس (ash-shams) · the sunالْقَمَر (al-qamar) · the moonالنَّجْم (an-najm) · the starالرَّجُل (ar-rajul) · the manالدَّرْس (ad-dars) · the lessonالسَّيَّارَة (as-sayyāra) · the carالطَّاوِلَة (aṭ-ṭāwila) · the tableالنَّافِذَة (an-nāfidha) · the window
Explanation
The 28 letters of Arabic fall into two groups of 14. Before a “moon letter” the l of الْ is heard: الْقَمَر is al-qamar. Before a “sun letter” the l is not said and the first letter of the noun is doubled: الشَّمْس is ash-shams, not al-shams. The shadda on the noun shows the doubling. The groups are named after two words: قَمَر (moon) starts with a moon letter and شَمْس (sun) starts with a sun letter. The spelling is the same in both cases: only the reading changes. Sun letters are made with the tip of the tongue near the teeth, so they melt into the l easily.
Group
Letters
The l of الْ
Sun letters
ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن
not heard
Moon letters
ا ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م ه و ي
heard
Worked examples
A moon letter and a sun letter side by side: the l is heard in the moon and disappears in the sun.
Sun letters ن ر د: the first letter of the noun is doubled. Listen: the star, the man, the lesson.
More sun letters: س ط ن. Listen: the car, the table, the window.
Class activity
Sun or moon? Write the 14 sun letters on red paper and the 14 moon letters on yellow paper. Then take these nouns: قَمَر، شَمْس، نَجْم، رَجُل، دَرْس، كِتَاب. Look at the first letter of each one, decide sun or moon, and read the noun with الْ. Check the nouns that are in this lesson with the Listen buttons.
Practice
1
Press Listen. Is the l of الْ heard in this word?
No, the first letter is doubled: ath-thalj, “the snow”. ث is a sun letter.
2
Is ن a sun letter or a moon letter? How do you read النَّجْم?
A sun letter: an-najm. The l is not heard.
3
Is ك a sun letter or a moon letter? How do you read الْكَلْب?
A moon letter: al-kalb, the dog. The l is heard.
4
The picture shows the sun. How do you read الشَّمْس: al-shams or ash-shams?
ash-shams. ش is a sun letter, so the l is not said.
5
The picture shows the moon. Read الْقَمَر. Do you hear the l?
