Tricks and Tips to make learning Grammar easier!
The Arabic script is also often a struggle to learn how to read as generally all short vowels are omitted in writing – leaving the reader with just consonants and three long vowels to work out how to pronounce the word. This can be a real challenge in the beginning, but Arabic has a secret weapon to crack the code! Arabic has a very regular (yet complicated) grammar and morphology, (meaning the way words change their form and are put together) – if you memorise the 10 main word patterns, known as the “Ten Forms”, reading Arabic words will become very easy! Furthermore, the forms will help you to distinguish meaning from vocabulary words you may not have seen before due to the link between roots (3 letter clusters) and generic meanings.
The grammar system can be both the hardest and easiest thing about learning Arabic. Undoubtedly Arabic grammar is complex and difficult, but also very regular and logical too. The difficulty comes in the sheer amount of rules the learner must memorise – something even Arabs themselves regularly face problems with. But, if you can crack the rules and their application, there is nothing to go wrong on. Arabic grammar is formulaic, in-put the rules and you’ll write correctly. Be encouraged that all your hard work in grammar learning will not go to waste; it is not uncommon for foreigners who have studied Arabic at an advanced level to actually be better in grammar than Arabs!
Arabic nouns and verbs are distinguished by the singular, dual and plural, and further categories by two genders. This gives 12 pronouns and 14 verbal conjugations, in addition to the three cases that Arabic words are governed by. This can be a lot to learn – but the up side is once you know them, Arabic is very particular and non-ambiguous, giving the Arabic speaker more information and clarity.
For help in translation or learning Arabic please contact us for more details.
