Lesson 5

Definite article (The)

I said: there is no “A” or “An” in Arabic, but what about “The”?

We use the definite article “The” in Arabic, the same way as we use it in English language.

In the table below you will learn how we write and pronounce it:

English	Arabic	Pronunciation
The	الـ

Sometimes we pronounce it like letter “L”, and sometimes we pronounce it like letter “A”.

When we pronounce it like letter “A”, we stress the letter that comes after it. Remember, that will be just in pronunciation not in writing.

I hear you say: when we pronounce it like letter “L”, and when we pronounce it like letter “A”?

This is a good question, but I do not have any answer. Do not be surprised. Of course there is a specific rule in classical Arabic, but in slang we pronounce it properly through repetition and familiarity.

You will pronounce it correctly even you do not know this noun before. Believe me; you will pronounce it automatically like us when your tongue gets used to talk Arabic language.

I will give you some examples for those two cases. Study them well, and keep them in your mind.

The first case: “الـ” like letter “L”:

English	Arabic	Pronunciation
The moon	القمر
The girl	البنت
The boy	الولد
The house	البيت
The night	الليل
The book	الكتاب
The notebook	الكراسة
The door	الباب
The school	المدرسة
The university	الجامعة
The car	العربية
The train	القطر

The second case: “الـ” like letter “A”:

English	Arabic	Pronunciation
The morning	الصبح
The light	النور
The dark	الضلمة
The sun	الشمس
The street	الشارع
The tree	الشجرة
The pavement	الرصيف
The man	الرجل
The woman	الست
The sky	السما
The window	الشباك
The plane	الطيارة

Remember: We write “الـ” in the two cases.

Remember: There is an important thing I would like to tell you. I have a lisp in letter "ر", so I want from you to pronounce it as you pronounce letter "R" in English. Do not pronounce it like me.