kasra

Part I: Getting Started kasra · yarji'u (yar-jee-oo; to return) · ya'rifu (yah-ree-foo; to know) When you conjugate a verb in the present tense, you must do two things: 1.

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

Just as the ` alif elongates the fatHa and the waaw elongates the damma, the yaa 'elongates the kasra.

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

For complete coverage of Arabic vowels (damma, fatHa, and kasra), check out Chapter 1.

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

To create a long vowel form of a kasra, you attach a yaa 'to the consonant with the kasra.

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

In English transcription, it's represented by the letter "u," as in funduq (foon-dook; hotel) or suHub (soo-hoob; clouds). kasra: The third main vowel in Arabic is the kasra (kahs-rah), which sounds like the long "e" in "feet" or "treat."

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

When you take the same consonant and use a kasra, which represents the "ee" sound, you get the sound "bee."

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

Double kasra: tanwiin with kasra makes the "een" sound, as in SafHatin (sahf-hah-teen; page).

Arabic for Dummies Bouchentouf, Amine 2006

The kasra is written the same way as a fatHa -- as a small horizontal line -- except that it goes underneath the consonant.

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