A story
Nuqta and the Sun Laam and Moon Laam on a Desert Trip
Reem's family went on a trip to the desert. On the edge of the tent... hop, hop! Nuqta sat wearing a tiny hat.
"Today I'll introduce you to two friends of the word «ال» (al, 'the'): the Sun and the Moon!"
"How?" asked Fahad.
"Say القَمَر (al-qamar, the moon)," said Nuqta. "Can you hear the Laam (ل)?"
"Al-qamar. Yes, the Laam is clear!" said Fahad.
"That's a Moon Laam (لام قمرية)! It shows itself, like the moon at night. Now you, Reem: say الشَّمْس (the sun)."
"Ash-shams... where did the Laam go?!" said Reem.
Nuqta laughed and hid behind a stone. "It vanished, like me right now! That's a Sun Laam (لام شمسية). We write it but don't say it, and the letter after it gets doubled (with a shadda ـّ)."
Can you say it too? Al-qamar... ash-shams!
It became a game! Every time they saw something, they named it:
"القَمَر (the moon), الكَلْب (the dog), الجَمَل (the camel), الباب (the door)." Reem said, "Moon Laams, we hear them!" and raised her hand high.
"الشَّمْس (the sun), النَّخْلَة (the palm), الرَّمْل (the sand), التَّمْر (the dates)." Fahad said, "Sun Laams, they vanish!" and covered his mouth.
And Nuqta ate a whole date... even though she's smaller than it! Everyone laughed.
At night, Fahad wanted the spot closest to the fire, but he saw his grandmother shivering. He got up and said, "Come, Grandma, sit here," and wrapped her in the blanket.
"You're like the moon, Fahad," said Grandma. "You light up the night."
"And the Moon Laam is clear to see," said Nuqta, "just like Fahad's kindness!"
They sang around the fire:
The moon comes out, we hear the Laam,
The sun goes hiding, quiet and calm,
Moon Laams we say, Sun Laams we hide,
With a shadda on the letter beside!
Let's practise (هيّا نتمرّن):
1. Sun or Moon? السَّمَك (fish) — الوَرْد (roses) — الدّار (house) — الفيل (elephant)
2. Raise your hand for Moon, cover your mouth for Sun: الكِتاب, النّور, البَيْت, الشَّجَرَة
3. Complete with «ال»: ـــقَمَر, ـــشَّمْس
4. Name three words with a Moon Laam.
Answers: 1) السَّمَك: Sun, الوَرْد: Moon, الدّار: Sun, الفيل: Moon. 2) Moon: الكِتاب, البَيْت. Sun: النّور, الشَّجَرَة. 3) القَمَر, الشَّمْس.
"Today I'll introduce you to two friends of the word «ال» (al, 'the'): the Sun and the Moon!"
"How?" asked Fahad.
"Say القَمَر (al-qamar, the moon)," said Nuqta. "Can you hear the Laam (ل)?"
"Al-qamar. Yes, the Laam is clear!" said Fahad.
"That's a Moon Laam (لام قمرية)! It shows itself, like the moon at night. Now you, Reem: say الشَّمْس (the sun)."
"Ash-shams... where did the Laam go?!" said Reem.
Nuqta laughed and hid behind a stone. "It vanished, like me right now! That's a Sun Laam (لام شمسية). We write it but don't say it, and the letter after it gets doubled (with a shadda ـّ)."
Can you say it too? Al-qamar... ash-shams!
It became a game! Every time they saw something, they named it:
"القَمَر (the moon), الكَلْب (the dog), الجَمَل (the camel), الباب (the door)." Reem said, "Moon Laams, we hear them!" and raised her hand high.
"الشَّمْس (the sun), النَّخْلَة (the palm), الرَّمْل (the sand), التَّمْر (the dates)." Fahad said, "Sun Laams, they vanish!" and covered his mouth.
And Nuqta ate a whole date... even though she's smaller than it! Everyone laughed.
At night, Fahad wanted the spot closest to the fire, but he saw his grandmother shivering. He got up and said, "Come, Grandma, sit here," and wrapped her in the blanket.
"You're like the moon, Fahad," said Grandma. "You light up the night."
"And the Moon Laam is clear to see," said Nuqta, "just like Fahad's kindness!"
They sang around the fire:
The moon comes out, we hear the Laam,
The sun goes hiding, quiet and calm,
Moon Laams we say, Sun Laams we hide,
With a shadda on the letter beside!
Let's practise (هيّا نتمرّن):
1. Sun or Moon? السَّمَك (fish) — الوَرْد (roses) — الدّار (house) — الفيل (elephant)
2. Raise your hand for Moon, cover your mouth for Sun: الكِتاب, النّور, البَيْت, الشَّجَرَة
3. Complete with «ال»: ـــقَمَر, ـــشَّمْس
4. Name three words with a Moon Laam.
Answers: 1) السَّمَك: Sun, الوَرْد: Moon, الدّار: Sun, الفيل: Moon. 2) Moon: الكِتاب, البَيْت. Sun: النّور, الشَّجَرَة. 3) القَمَر, الشَّمْس.
