Writing From Right to Left

Level 1

Arabic script is read from right to left (RTL). However, numbers written as digits (like 2024 or ٢٠٢٤) are written and read from left to right (LTR), just like in English.

How It Works

Arabic is a bidirectional (BiDi) language, meaning the text contains two different directions of flow. Becoming proficient in reading Arabic requires understanding how these directions interact.

1. The Script (RTL): All letters and words follow a right-to-left flow. You start at the right side of the page and move left.

2. Mirrored Punctuation: To match the RTL flow, several key punctuation marks are mirrored (flipped) compared to their Western counterparts:

The comma: ،
The semicolon: ؛
The question mark: ؟

Other marks, like the period (.) and colon (:), are considered 'neutral' and do not change their shape, though they are placed at the end of the sentence flow (the far left).

3. The Numbers (LTR): Whether using Western digits (1, 2, 3) or Eastern digits (١, ٢, ٣), the digits within a number are written from left to right. For example, in the number 195, the '1' (hundreds) is on the left and the '5' (units) is on the right.

4. Mathematical Operators and Symbols:

Operators: Basic signs like plus (+) and minus (-) are generally placed to the right of the number in the RTL flow.
Percentages: The Arabic percent sign (٪) is placed to the left of the number (e.g., ٪٥٠), appearing 'after' the number as you read from right to left.
Decimals: The Arabic decimal separator (٫) is used between digits, maintaining the LTR internal flow of the number.

Examples (4)

وُلدتُ في سنة 1995.
I was born in the year 1995.
Word by Word: I-was-born in year 1995.
Notice how the sentence starts from the right, but the year 1995 is written with the '1' on the left and '5' on the right.
ثمن هذا الكتاب ٢٥ ريالاً.
The price of this book is 25 Riyals.
Word by Word: Price (of) this the-book 25 riyals.
Even using Eastern digits (٢٥), the '2' (tens) is on the left and the '5' (units) is on the right.
نسبة النجاح هي ٪٩٠.
The success rate is 90%.
Word by Word: Rate (of) the-success is %90.
The percent sign (٪) appears to the left of the number because the reader encounters the number first, then the symbol as they continue moving left.
رقم هاتفي هو 0123456789.
My phone number is 0123456789.
Word by Word: Number (of) my-phone is 0123456789.
Long strings of digits like phone numbers are always written from left to right.

Common Mistakes

Writing digits in reverse order (RTL) to match the text.
سنة ٥٩٩١
سنة ١٩٩٥
Learners often try to write the 'units' first on the right because the text is RTL. Always write the highest place value (thousands/hundreds) on the left.
Placing currency or percent symbols on the wrong side.
١٠٠٪
٪١٠٠
In English, the % is on the right. In Arabic, because we read RTL, the symbol must be to the left of the number to be read 'after' it.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Writing From Right to LeftLevel 1

Learn This First

Writing from right to left is a foundational concept in Arabic. The only essential prerequisite is a basic introduction to the Arabic alphabet itself, as the directionality of the script is the primary rule for how those letters are formed into words and sentences.