One article: ال
Arabic has one article, ال (al-), meaning "the". It is joined to the front of the noun and never changes for gender or number. There is no word for "a/an": an indefinite noun simply ends in tanween.
| Indefinite | Definite |
|---|---|
| كِتَابٌ (kitābun) a book | الْكِتَابُ (al-kitābu) the book |
| بَيْتٌ (baytun) a house | الْبَيْتُ (al-baytu) the house |
| سَيَّارَةٌ (sayyāratun) a car | السَّيَّارَةُ (as-sayyāratu) the car |
| كُتُبٌ (kutubun) books | الْكُتُبُ (al-kutubu) the books |
A noun has either ال or tanween, never both.
Moon letters and sun letters
The ل of ال is pronounced only before the 14 moon letters. Before the 14 sun letters it is silent and the next consonant is doubled (shadda). The ل is always written.
| Moon letters (l pronounced) | Sun letters (l assimilated) |
|---|---|
| ا ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م ه و ي | ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن |
| الْقَمَرُ (al-qamaru) the moon | الشَّمْسُ (ash-shamsu) the sun |
| الْبَابُ (al-bābu) the door | الدَّرْسُ (ad-darsu) the lesson |
| الْمَدْرَسَةُ (al-madrasatu) the school | الرَّجُلُ (ar-rajulu) the man |
| الْوَلَدُ (al-waladu) the boy | النُّورُ (an-nūru) the light |
| الْيَوْمُ (al-yawmu) the day | الطَّالِبُ (aṭ-ṭālibu) the student |
A practical test: sun letters are made with the tip of the tongue near the teeth (t, d, s, sh, r, n, l...). In writing with harakat, moon letters get a sukun on the ل (الْ), sun letters get a shadda on the next letter (الشَّ).
The vanishing a-
The a of al- is only pronounced at the start of speech. After another word it drops (this alif is called hamzat al-wasl), but it stays in writing:
- فِي الْبَيْتِ (fi l-bayti) — in the house
- وَالشَّمْسُ (wa sh-shamsu) — and the sun
- مِنَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ (mina l-madrasati) — from the school
After the one-letter preposition لِـ (for), the alif is not even written: لِـ + الطَّالِبِ = لِلطَّالِبِ (li ṭ-ṭālibi), for the student.
Where Arabic uses "the" and English does not
Arabic uses ال for things in general and for abstract ideas:
- أُحِبُّ الْقَهْوَةَ. — I like coffee.
- الْحَيَاةُ جَمِيلَةٌ. — Life is beautiful.
- الْعَرَبِيَّةُ لُغَةٌ جَمِيلَةٌ. — Arabic is a beautiful language.
Some place names carry ال as part of the name: الْعِرَاقُ (Iraq), الْقَاهِرَةُ (Cairo), الْمَغْرِبُ (Morocco).
Watch out as an English speaker
- English speakers pronounce the l everywhere or drop it in writing. ✗ al-shams / ✓ ash-shams, and ✗ اشَّمْسُ / ✓ الشَّمْسُ: the sound assimilates, the spelling does not.
- Do not add a word for "a". وَاحِدٌ means "one": ✗ وَاحِدٌ كِتَابٌ / ✓ كِتَابٌ (a book).
- General statements need ال. ✗ أُحِبُّ قَهْوَةً. / ✓ أُحِبُّ الْقَهْوَةَ. (I like coffee.)
- The article and tanween exclude each other. ✗ الْكِتَابٌ / ✓ الْكِتَابُ.
Example dialogue
أَيْنَ الْكِتَابُ؟ — Where is the book?
الْكِتَابُ فِي الْبَيْتِ. — The book is in the house.
وَأَيْنَ السَّيَّارَةُ؟ — And where is the car?
السَّيَّارَةُ أَمَامَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ. — The car is in front of the school.
شُكْرًا يَا أُسْتَاذُ. — Thank you, sir.