3
Dal and dhal
Arabic A1 · Unit 2
GoalRead and write د (dal) and ذ (dhal) and tell the “d”, “th” of “think” and “th” of “this” apart.
New words
دَ (da) · syllable daذَ (dha) · syllable dhaيَد (yad) · handبَدَن (badan) · bodyجَدِيد (jadīd) · newدَجَاج (dajāj) · chicken, hensدُخَان (dukhān) · smokeذَابَ (dhāba) · it melted
Explanation
Dal (د) is the “d” of “door”. Dhal (ذ) is the “th” of “this” and “that”, with one dot above. Do not mix it up with thaa (ث), the “th” of “think”. Put a finger on your throat: for dhal the throat hums, for thaa there is only air. Both letters are small and never join the letter after them, but they do join the letter before them.
دalone
—start
—middle
ـدend
ذalone
—start
—middle
ـذend
Worked examples
The hum test. Put a finger on your throat and listen: thaa is only air, dhal hums.
Dal does not join the next letter, so it leaves a small gap in the word. Press Listen: a hand and a chicken.
Read two more words: it melted, and smoke.
Class activity
Hum test. Say the English words “this, that, these” and feel your throat hum: that is ذ. Now say “think, thing, thanks”: there is only air, that is ث. Write ذ and ث three times each. Then write ذَابَ and read it aloud.
Practice
1
Which letter hums in the throat, ث or ذ?
ذ (dhal), like the “th” of “this”.
2
Press Listen. Does the word begin with d or with dh?
With d. The word is دَيْن (dayn), “a debt”.
3
Look at the picture. Which Arabic word means this: يَد or جَدِيد?
يَد (yad), hand.
4
Read the word aloud: بَدَن.
badan, which means body.
5
Which of these letters is dal?
ذ
د
ن
The middle one. Dal has no dot; dhal has one dot above.