Arabic is written in joined-up letters, from right to left, and a letter's shape depends on where it sits in the word. The letter ي looks different at the start of يَبْنِي (he builds) than it does on its own in نَاي (flute).
What Are the Four Forms of an Arabic Letter?
A letter that joins on both sides has four shapes. The course shows them with ي, the letter for y.
- يـstartـيـmiddleـيendيaloneThe line next to a shape shows where it joins its neighbor.
| Form | Where It Is | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | At the start, joined to the next letter | يَبْنِي | he builds |
| Medial | In the middle, joined on both sides | بَيْت | house |
| Final | At the end, joined to the letter before | بِنْتِي | my daughter |
| Isolated | Standing alone | نَاي | flute |
In نَاي, ي comes right after ا, which never joins the letter after it, so ي stands alone.
How Much Does a Letter Change?
The dots stay the same, and the body of the letter gets shorter when it joins. Joined to their neighbors, ب, ت, ث, ن and ي look almost the same, so the dots are how you tell them apart.
- بـb, startتـt, startنـn, startيـy, startAt the start of a word, these are the same small tooth, and so is ثـ. Count the dots and check whether they sit above or below.
- بb, aloneيy, aloneOn its own, ب is a long boat with one dot under it, and ي curls down below the line with two dots under it.
- هhةt or ah, end onlyThe letter ة looks like ه with two dots on top. It only comes at the end of a word, as in مَدْرَسَة (school).
- يyىlong aThe letter ى is the shape of ي with no dots. It comes at the end of a word and says a long a, as in مُوسِيقَى (music).
Which Letters Don't Join the Next One?
Six letters join the letter before them but never the letter after them: ا, د, ذ, ر, ز and و. Each one has only two shapes, alone and joined from the right, and it leaves a small gap before the next letter. In وَلَد (boy), و leaves a gap before ل, and then ل joins د to finish the word.
| Letter | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ا | بَاب | door |
| د | يَد | hand |
| ذ | ذَهَب | gold |
| ر | رَجُل | man |
| ز | زَيْت | oil |
| و | وَرْد | roses |
ة joins the same way, from one side only, and so do the forms of ا with a hamza, like أ and إ. The hamza ء on its own doesn't join anything.
Why Do ل and ا Make One Shape?
When ل comes right before ا, the two join into one shape, لا. It's a word on its own too: لَا means no. Almost every Arabic font draws this shape for you, so your phone shows لا when you type ل and then ا.
How Can You Learn the Forms?
The Arabic alphabet chart draws every letter as a picture, so ب becomes a boat with one buoy under it. The Arabic Alphabet course then shows each letter at the start, middle and end of real words, with audio. The course is in the Bubblegum app too. Once you can read the letters, Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Arabic lessons at your level, so you see these joined shapes in whole sentences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Have to Learn Four Shapes for Every Letter?
No. Six of the 28 letters have only two shapes, and most of the others keep the same dots and main stroke in all four. A few change more: ه is هـ at the start of a word and ـهـ in the middle.
Which Arabic App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Arabic, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Its Arabic Alphabet course starts with ا, ب and the three short vowel marks, then adds a few letters in each chapter. Our Arabic app comparison covers more choices and what each one is good for.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Unicode Character Database, ArabicShaping.txt (Joining_Type: dual-joining letters such as ب, ي and ل join on both sides; right-joining letters ا د ذ ر ز و and ة join only the letter before them; ء does not join)
- The Unicode Standard, Chapter 9, Middle East-I (Arabic cursive joining, the isolated, final, initial and medial forms, and the lam-alef ligature, obligatory in almost all font styles)
