fatHa

Part I: Getting Started Main vowels The three main Arabic vowels are: fatHah: The first main vowel in Arabic is called a fatHa (feht-hah).

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

For example, to say "translator" in the feminine, you add a fatHa to muTarjim to get muTarjima (moo-tar-jee-mah; translator) (F).

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

The subjunctive form of yaktubu is yaktuba (yak-too-bah), with the Damma changed to a fatHa.

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

Here are all possible combinations of double vowels: Double fatHa: tanwiin with fatHa creates the "an" sound, as in ` ahlan wa sahlan (ahel-an wah sahel-an; Hi).

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

Second, the overwhelming majority of verbs in huwa form in the past tense have three consonants that are accompanied by the same vowel: the fatHa (fat-hah).

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

For example, when you put a fatHa, a vowel representing the "ah" sound, above the consonant representing the letter "b," you get the sound "bah."

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

Here are a few examples to help you get your head around this long-vowel process: To create a long vowel form of a fatHa, you attach an ` alif to the consonant that the fatHa is associated with.

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

Much like the other vowels, the way you pronounce a fatHa depends on what consonants come before or after it.

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

In about 80 percent of the cases, feminine nouns end with a fatHa, or the "ah" sound.

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

Arabic Vowel Characters Explanation To create a long vowel form of a fatHa To create a long vowel form of a damma To create a long vowel form of a kasra Diphthongs Diphthongs in Arabic are a special category of vowels because, in essence, they're monosyllabic sounds that begin with one vowel and "glide" into another vowel.

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006