Letters That Join and Letters That Stay Apart
Every other letter joins the next letter and changes its shape to do it.
How It Works
Dari is written in one flowing line, and most letters join the next letter. These seven letters never join the letter after them: ا، د، ذ، ر، ز، ژ، و. After one of them, the next letter starts a new piece, and you see a small gap.
| Word | Meaning | Pieces |
|---|---|---|
| کتاب | book | کتا + ب |
| مریم | Maryam | مر + یم |
| بازار | market | با + ز + ا + ر |
| دروازه | door | د + ر + و + ا + ز + ه |
The gap inside a word is small. The space between two words is wider. A letter also changes shape with its place: the ی in مریم starts a piece, and the ی in شیر sits in the middle of one.
Examples (5)
- دروازه باز است.
The door is open.
In دروازه no letter joins the next one, so every letter stands apart.
- کتاب من خوب است.
My book is good.
کتاب breaks after ا, so it shows as کتا and ب.
- مریم در خانه است.
Maryam is at home.
In مریم, ر ends the first piece (مر) and ی starts the next (یم).
- پدر من داکتر است.
My father is a doctor.
In پدر, د does not join forward, so ر stands alone after پد.
- آب سرد است.
The water is cold.
آ is ا with a mark, so it stays apart, and ب stands alone after it.
Common Mistakes
Typing a space where the letters only have a gap.
کتا ب من خوب است.کتاب من خوب است.The small gap after ا is part of the word. A full space would make two words, so type کتاب with no space.
Related Patterns
- Reading From Right to Left
Each line runs from right to left, one piece after another.
Foundations - The Half-Space
The half-space is a gap you type on purpose inside some words.
Foundations - The Sounds of و and ی
و is one of the seven letters that stay apart, and it has three sounds.
Foundations - Unwritten Short Vowels
The letters show the long vowels and leave out the short ones.
Foundations
Practice Letters That Join and Letters That Stay Apart in Bubblegum
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