4
Letters that do not join
Arabic A1 · Unit 2
GoalKnow that ا د ذ never join the next letter and use this to read words in blocks.
New words
يَدَان (yadān) · two handsجَذَبَ (jadhaba) · he pulledنَاجِح (nājiḥ) · successfulحَدِيد (ḥadīd) · ironحَاجِب (ḥājib) · eyebrowتِيجَان (tījān) · crowns
Explanation
Some Arabic letters join only to the letter before them and never to the letter after them. So far you know three of them: alif (ا), dal (د) and dhal (ذ). Later you meet three more: raa, zay and waw. After one of these letters the next letter starts a new block, and you see a small gap. The word is still read from right to left; only the pen is lifted. Look for the gaps first, then read each block.
اalone
—start
—middle
ـاend
دalone
—start
—middle
ـدend
ذalone
—start
—middle
ـذend
Worked examples
| Word | Blocks |
|---|---|
| دَجَاج | دَ · جَا · ج |
| نَاجِح | نَا · جِح |
| دُخَان | دُ · خَا · ن |
| يَدَان | يَدَ · ا · ن |
دُdu+خَاkhā+نn
Build the word step by step: the first block ends at the dal, the second ends at the alif.Both words have two blocks. Press Listen and find the gap in each word.
Class activity
Pencil-lift game. Write the word دَجَاج slowly with a pencil. Every time you reach a letter that does not join forward, lift the pencil and start the next block. Count the blocks. Do the same with يَدَان and نَاجِح.
Practice
1
Name the three non-joining letters you know.
Alif, dal and dhal (ا د ذ).
2
How many blocks has the word بَاب? Write them.
Two: بَا and ب.
3
Press Listen. How many blocks does the word have, two or three?
Two: ثَا and بِت. The word is ثَابِت (thābit), steady.
4
Why does the letter after a dal start a new block?
Because dal never joins the letter after it, so the pen is lifted.
5
Read the word aloud: جَذَبَ.
jadhaba, he pulled.