1. Script:
* Abjad: Unlike alphabets like English which use vowels explicitly, Arabic is an abjad. This means it primarily uses consonants, and vowels are often implied or indicated by diacritics (small marks).
* Modified: The Arabic script has been adapted for various languages, with modifications in letter shapes and diacritics.
2. Direction:
* Right to left: Words are written from right to left, making it appear backwards to those used to left-to-right languages.
3. Letters:
* 28 Consonants: The Arabic script has 28 basic consonant letters.
* Vowels: Vowels are not always written. They can be implied by context or marked with diacritics called "harakat".
4. Diacritics:
* Harakat: These are small marks above or below the consonants that indicate vowels.
* Fatha (َ): Short "a" sound
* Damma (ُ): Short "u" sound
* Kasra (ِ): Short "i" sound
* Sukun (ْ): Indicates no vowel
* Shadda (ّ): Indicates a doubled consonant
5. Joining Letters:
* Connected: Arabic letters connect to each other in various ways depending on their position in the word.
* Isolated, Initial, Medial, Final: Letters have different shapes based on whether they are at the beginning, middle, or end of a word, or standing alone.
6. Punctuation:
* Right-to-left: Arabic uses punctuation marks such as full stops, commas, and question marks that are also written from right to left.
7. Numerals:
* Arabic Numerals: Arabic uses its own set of numerals, different from those used in the Western world.
Examples:
* Hello: مرحبا (Marhabaan)
* Thank you: شكرا (Shukran)
Learning to read Arabic can be challenging for those who are not familiar with the script, but the system is very logical and consistent once understood.