Sun Letters and Moon Letters
The Arabic letters are two categories: sun letters and moon letters. The definite article الـ "the" triggers this classification. The الـ precedes indefinite nouns and adjectives (i.e., attached to them to be exact). Basically, the لـ in the الـ assimilates to the certain subsequent letters. These letters are called sun letters. And it (the لـ) does not assimilate to other letters. These are called moon letters.
Why does this assimilation happen? It happens because the points of articulation in the oral cavity (the mouth) for the sun letters and the لـ are adjacent. Therefore, the لـ gets assimilated to the sun letter that follows it. The sun letter, in turn, becomes doubled (i.e., a geminate). This doubling is marked by the shaddah ّ on the sun letter. In phonology (the science of speech sounds), this kind of assimilation occurs because the لـ and sun letters share many phonological features. As for writing, the لـ of the definite article الـ is not affected; that is, it is written.
Why are they called sun letters? They are called sun letters after the word شَمْس "sun", which begins with the letter (sound) ش /sh/ to which the لـ assimilates. This word (i.e., شَمْس) is chosen because it is one of kind. Also, it sharply contrasts with the word قَمَر "moon."
If you look at the Arabic diagram of speech sounds presented in a previous lesson, you will notice that the letters that are produced / articulated from the vicinity of the لـ are:
ت ، ث ، د ، ذ ، ر ، ز ، س ، ش ، ص ، ض ، ط ، ظ ، ل ، ن
In the following table, you can see that the لـ under the pronunciation column is dropped and replaced with shaddah over the subsequent letter (the sun letter).
الْحُرُوفُ الشَّمْسِيَّة The Sun Letters |
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نَـكِرَة Indefinite |
مَعْرِفَة ( الـ ) Definite |
النُّطْق Pronunciation |
تَدْخِين smoking |
التَّدْخِين the smoking |
اَتَّدْخِين |
ثَعْلَب a fox |
الثَّعْلَب the fox |
اَثَّعْلَب |
دَرْس a lesson |
الدَّرْس the lesson |
اَدَّرْس |
ذِرَاع an arm |
الذِّرَاع the arm |
اَذِّرَاع |
رَيْحَان basil |
الرَّيْحَان the basil |
اَرَّيْحَان |
زَبِيب raisins (fruit) |
الزَّبِيب the raisins |
اَزَّبِيب |
سَبَانِخ spinach |
السَّبَانِخ the spinach |
اَسَّبَانِخ |
شَارِع a street |
الشَّارِع the street |
اَشَّارِع |
صُورَة a picture |
الصُّورَة the picture |
اَصُّورَة |
ضَرِيبَة a tax |
الضَّرِيبَة the tax |
اَضَّرِيبَة |
طَعَام food |
الطَّعَام the food |
اَطَّعَام |
ظَلَام darkness |
الظَّلَام the darkness |
اَظَّلَام |
لَبَن yogurt |
اللَّبَن the yogurt |
اَلَّبَن |
نِصْف a half |
النِّصْف the half |
اَنِّصْف |
Likewise, the moon letters are named after the word قَمَر "moon" which begins with the letter (sound) ق. The word قَمْر sharply contrasts with the word شَمْس. Plus, it is one of a kind. Assimilation of the لـ of الـ to the moon letters is impossible because their points of articulation is far from that of the لـ. In other words, they do not share any phonological features with the لـ. These letters are:
أ ، ب ، ج ، ح ، خ ، ع ، غ ، ف ، ق ، ك ، م ، و ، هـ ، ي
In the table below, you can see that the لـ does not assimilate to the subsequent moon letter, as shown under the pronunciation column.
الْحُرُوفُ الْقَمَرِيَّة The Moon Letters |
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نَـكِرَة Indefinite Noun |
مَعْرِفَة ( الـ ) Definite Noun |
النُّطْق The Pronunciation |
أَدَب literature |
الْـأَدَب the literature |
الْأَدَب |
بُرْكَان a volcano |
الْبُرْكَان the volcano |
الْبُرْكَان |
جَرَس a bell |
الْجَرَس the bell |
الْجَرَس |
حَرَارَة heat |
الْحَرَارَة the heat |
الْحَرَارَة |
خُبْز bread |
الْخُبْز the bread |
الْخُبْز |
عَاصِفَة a storm |
الْعَاصِفَة the storm |
الْعَاصِفَة |
غَسَّالَة a washing machine |
الْغَسَّالَة the washing machine |
الْغَسَّالَة |
فُضُول curiosity |
الْفُضُول the curiosity |
الْفُضُول |
قَامُوس a dictionary |
الْقَامُوس the dictionary |
الْقَامُوس |
كَلْب a dog |
الْكَلْب The dog |
الْكَلْب |
مُدَير a manager |
الْمُدِير the manager |
الْمُدِير |
هَدِيَّة a gift |
الْهَدِيَّة the gift |
الْهَدِيَّة |
وِسَادَة a pillow |
الْوِسَادَة the pillow |
الْوِسَادَة |
يَقْطِين pumpkin |
الْيَقْطِين the pumpkin |
الْيَقْطِين |