The terms ‘sun’ and ‘moon letters’ carry a magical connotation in Arabic grammar. We enter the fascinating world of Arabic grammar via these names. If these rules seem puzzling, you’re not alone. Many Arabic learners find them challenging. But fret not; we’re here to simplify them for you. So, let’s begin this linguistic adventure and learn about the amazing Arabic grammar. Along the road, we’ll learn the details of these amazing rules.
What are sun and moon letters?
Sun and Moon letters are two terms used in Arabic grammar to describe the way certain Arabic letters behave when they are followed by the Arabic definite article “al” (ال). In Arabic, the alphabet is divided into two categories: Sun letters (حروف شمسية) and Moon letters (حروف قمرية). This categorization is based on how the letter ” ل” “lam” is pronounced when it comes before certain consonants. The moon and sun will help us to understand these rules better. So, let’s get started!
Why is it important to understand Sun and Moon letters?
Sun and Moon letters are important in Arabic because they affect how words are pronounced, how sentences are structured, and how vocabulary is used. So, it is important for many reasons:
- Pronunciation: Sun letters are pronounced differently than Moon letters. This is very important for learners to know in order to pronounce words correctly.
- Grammar: Sun and Moon letters also affect the grammar of Arabic sentences.
- Vocabulary: Sun and Moon letters can help learners to expand their vocabulary. By understanding the patterns between Sun and Moon letters, learners can better predict the form of words and learn new vocabulary more easily.
Why are they called sun letters?
You may ask yourself this question, Why are they called sun letters ?
When the letter “lam” comes before a sun letter, it is not pronounced. This is why the word “الشّمس” (al-shams) is pronounced as “ash-shams”. So, the sun letters are called “solar letters” because Sun letters at the beginning of the word is doubled. (letter with Shaddah) so, they are strong and bright like the sun.
Read More: THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO ARABIC CONNECTING LETTERS
Words start with Sun letters in Arabic example
| Sun Letters (حروف شمسية) | Example | Pronunciation Guide |
| ت (t) | الطّائر | al-taa’ir |
| ر (r) | الّرّجل | ar-rajul |
| س (s) | السّماء | as-samā’ |
| ش (sh) | الشّمس | ash-shams |
| ل (l) | اللّغة | al-lughah |
Why are they called moon letters?
When the letter “lam” comes before a moon letter, it is pronounced. This is why the word “القمر” (al-qamar) is pronounced as “al-qamar. So, the moon letters are called “lunar letters” because moon letters at the beginning of the word are not doubled. (without Shaddah) which represents the softness and calmness of the moon.
Words start with Moon letters in Arabic example
| Moon Letters (حروف قمرية) | Example | Pronunciation Guide |
| ب (b) | البْيت | al-bayt |
| ج (j) | الجمل | al-jamal |
| م (m) | الماء | al-maa’ |
| ك (k) | الكتاب | al-kitaab |
| و (w) | الورد | al-waraḍ |
The Orthography of sun letters
| Sun letters | English |
| ت | tah |
| ث | thah |
| د | dal |
| ذ | dhal |
| ر | ra |
| ز | zay |
| س | seen |
| ش | shin |
| ص | sad |
| ض | dad |
| ط | ta |
| ظ | za |
| ل | lam |
| ن | noon |
The Orthography of moon letters
| Moon letters | English |
| ب | ba |
| ج | jim |
| ح | ha |
| خ | kha |
| ع | ain |
| غ | ghayn |
| ف | fa |
| ق | qaf |
| ك | kaf |
| م | mim |
| ه | ha |
| و | wa |
| ي | ya |
Sun letters practise
| letter | Example Word | Pronunciation Guide |
| ت | الطَّائر | Al-ṭā’ir |
| ث | الثَّلج | Ath-thalj |
| د | الدَّجاج | Ad-dajāj |
| ذ | الذَّهب | Adh-dhahab |
| ر | الرَّمل | Ar-ramal |
| ز | الزَّهرة | Az-zahra |
| س | السَّماء | As-samā’ |
| ش | الشَّمس | Ash-shams |
| ص | الصَّفر | Aṣ-ṣafr |
| ض | الضَّوء | Aḍ-ḍaw’ |
| ط | الطَّاولة | Aṭ-ṭāwlah |
| ظ | الظُّلمة | Aẓ-ẓulmah |
| ل | اللَّون | Al-lawun |
| ن | النَّجمة | An-najmah |
Moon letters practise
| Letter | Example Word | Pronunciation Guide |
| ب | البَاب | Al-bāb |
| ج | الجسر | Al-jisr |
| ح | الحَديقة | Al-ḥadīqah |
| خ | الخُبز | Al-khubz |
| ع | العَين | Al-ʿayn |
| غ | الغَيمة | Al-ghaymah |
| ف | الفَستان | Al-fustān |
| ق | القَلم | Al-qalam |
| ك | الكِتاب | Al-kitāb |
| م | المَدينة | Al-madīnah |
| ه | الهَدية | Al-hadīyah |
| و | الوَردة | Al-wardah |
| ي | اليَد | Al-yad |
Frequently asked questions
How to remember sun and moon letters?
Here are some steps help you to remember the sun and moon letters:
- Visual Images:
Try to create mental images for each category. For sun letters, imagine the sun (شمس) shining brightly over the letters that trigger this rule. For moon letters, imagine the moon (قمر) casting its light over the letters that belong to this group. - Word Association:
Associate words that start with sun/moon letters to each category. For example, for sun letters, you could think of words like “شمس” (sun) and “سحلية” (lizard), as they start with sun letters. For moon letters, think of words like “قمر” (moon) and “قلب” (heart), which start with moon letters. - Color Coding:
Assign different colors to each category. Use one color for sun letters and another for moon letters. This can make it easier to remember. - Create Sentences:
Create sentences that combine words from each category. This approach will help you remember the rules better. For example, “الشمس تشرق على الجبل” (The sun rises over the mountain), where “شمس” follows the sun letter rule and “جبل” follows the moon letter rule. - Interactive Learning Tools:
Use flashcards, apps, or online tools designed to help you practice and remember Arabic grammar rules. These tools often include exercises and quizzes that make learning more engaging.
How to identify sun and moon letters in Arabic?
The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, which are divided into two groups: sun letters (حروف شمسية) and moon letters (حروف قمرية).
- Sun letters are 14 in number:
ت، ث، د، ذ، ر، ز، س، ش، ص، ض، ط، ظ،ن، ل
- Moon letters are the remaining 14 letters:
أ، ب، ج، ح، خ، ع، غ، ف، ق، ك، م، ه، و، ي
Here are some tips for identifying sun and moon letters:
- Memorize the list of sun and moon letters. This is the most important step, as it will allow you to quickly identify which category a given letter belongs to.
- Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the definite article “al” in spoken Arabic.
- Practice and get exposure to Arabic. The more you read, listen to, and speak Arabic, the more you will know these patterns and be able to identify sun and moon letters automatically.
The difference between sun and moon letters in Arabic
| Sun Letters | Moon Letters |
|---|---|
| There are 14 sun letters in Arabic. | There are 14 moon letters in Arabic. |
| Sun letters are a group of consonants in Arabic that affect the pronunciation of the definite article “al”. | Moon letters are a group of consonants in Arabic that do not affect the pronunciation of the definite article “al”. |
| Examples of sun letters include ت (ta), ث (tha), ن (nun), ر (ra), etc. | Examples of moon letters include ب (ba), ج (jim), د (dal), ق(qaf) etc. |
What are sun and moon letters in Quran?
We can see many examples of sun and moon letters in the Quran.
Examples of Sun letters:
| Pronunciation guide | Word | Sun letter | Examples |
| al-thamaraat | الثَّمَراتِ | ث | قوله تعالى }:وَمِن كُلِّ الثَّمَراتِ جَعَلَ فيها زَوجَينِ اثنَينِ}. |
| as-saajideen | السّاجِدينَ | س | قوله تعالى: {فَسَبِّح بِحَمدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُن مِنَ السّاجِدينَ}. |
| at-tawwaabu- ar-raheem | التَّوَّابُ –الرَّحِيم | ت – ر | قوله تعالى: {فَتَلَقَّى آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيم}. |
| ash-shitaai- as-sayf | الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ | ش- ص | قوله تعالى: {إِيلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ}. |
| an-najm | النَّجْمِ | ن | قوله تعالى: {وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَى}. |
Examples of Moon letters:
| Pronunciation guide | Word | Moon letter | Examples |
| al-qiyaamati | الْقِيَامَةِ | ق | قوله تعالى: {مَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَن يَغُلَّ وَمَن يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ}. |
| al-hudaa | الْهُدَى | ـهـ | قوله تعالى: {وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَى}. |
| al-yaqootu
al-marjaanu |
الْيَاقُوتُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ | ي – م | قوله تعالى: {كَأَنَّهُنَّ الْيَاقُوتُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ}. |
| al-malakayni | الْمَلَكَيْنِ | م | قوله تعالى: {وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ}. |
| al-bayti | الْبَيْتِ | ب | قوله تعالى: {فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ}. |
Test yourself
Read the following passage and put the words in the correct place:
عندما تنتشر السّحب في السماء وتختفي الشمس، ويشتد البرد، وينزل المطر، يغلق التجار متاجرهم، ويرجع الناس إلى بيوتهم وتقفر الشوارع من المارة، وتأوي الطيور إلى أوكارها ويسود الجوّ صمت لا يسمع فيه إلا انهمار المطر. فإذا ما توقف المطر عادت الحياة إلى مجاريها وذهب كل واحد إلى العمل .
| Sun letters | Moon letters |
Finally, sun and moon letters are very easy rules. However, as I told you before in order to master them you need to practise regularly.
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