A story
Nuqta and the Singing Tanween at Haya's Party
Haya was getting ready for her grandmother's birthday party. She took a piece of paper and wrote: «كَعْكٌ، عَصيرٌ، بالونٌ، هَدِيَّةٌ» (cake, juice, a balloon, a present).
On the tip of her pencil... hop, hop! Nuqta sat and listened.
Haya read the words aloud and heard a tiny sound at the end of each: n... n... n...
"I can hear a Noon, but I can't see it written!" she said.
Nuqta laughed. "That's tanween (التنوين)! A shy little Noon that we hear but don't write. Instead, we draw a double mark at the end of the word."
Can you hear it too? Ka'kun... 'asirun!
Then Nuqta taught her the three marks:
"Tanween with damma (ـٌ): two little dammas. كَعْكٌ sounds like ka'kun." Haya clapped once above her head.
"Tanween with fatha (ـً): two fathas. رَأَيْتُ بالونًا (I saw a balloon) sounds like baloonan, and we usually write an Alif after it." She clapped in front of her chest.
"Tanween with kasra (ـٍ): two kasras under the letter. في صُنْدوقٍ (in a box) sounds like sundooqin." She clapped by her knees.
"Top, middle, bottom!" said Haya. "Tanween is a dance!"
She got the party ready, singing:
Here's tasty cake (كَعْكٌ لَذيذٌ),
And cold juice (عَصيرٌ بارِدٌ),
I hung a red balloon (بالونًا أَحْمَرَ),
And the present's in a lovely box (صُنْدوقٍ جَميلٍ)!
N-n-n... n-n-n!
Nuqta tried to sing along and said, "Nuqtatun!" Haya giggled. "You're a tiny dot with a big voice!"
When Grandma arrived, she found among the presents a note in Haya's handwriting: «جَدَّتي حُبٌّ كَبيرٌ» (My grandma is a big love).
Grandma's eyes sparkled. "This is the most beautiful present! A kind word from a little heart."
Haya hugged her, and they sang together: "N-n-n!"
Let's practise (هيّا نتمرّن):
1. Read and listen for the Noon: قَمَرٌ (a moon) — شَمْسًا (a sun) — بَيْتٍ (a house) — وَرْدَةٌ (a rose)
2. Which tanween is in each word (damma, fatha, kasra)? كِتابٌ — قَلَمًا — بابٍ
3. Clap the tanween dance: top (ـٌ), middle (ـً), bottom (ـٍ).
4. Circle the word with tanween: البَيْتُ — بَيْتٌ — بَيْتي
Answers: 2) كِتابٌ: damma, قَلَمًا: fatha, بابٍ: kasra. 4) بَيْتٌ.
On the tip of her pencil... hop, hop! Nuqta sat and listened.
Haya read the words aloud and heard a tiny sound at the end of each: n... n... n...
"I can hear a Noon, but I can't see it written!" she said.
Nuqta laughed. "That's tanween (التنوين)! A shy little Noon that we hear but don't write. Instead, we draw a double mark at the end of the word."
Can you hear it too? Ka'kun... 'asirun!
Then Nuqta taught her the three marks:
"Tanween with damma (ـٌ): two little dammas. كَعْكٌ sounds like ka'kun." Haya clapped once above her head.
"Tanween with fatha (ـً): two fathas. رَأَيْتُ بالونًا (I saw a balloon) sounds like baloonan, and we usually write an Alif after it." She clapped in front of her chest.
"Tanween with kasra (ـٍ): two kasras under the letter. في صُنْدوقٍ (in a box) sounds like sundooqin." She clapped by her knees.
"Top, middle, bottom!" said Haya. "Tanween is a dance!"
She got the party ready, singing:
Here's tasty cake (كَعْكٌ لَذيذٌ),
And cold juice (عَصيرٌ بارِدٌ),
I hung a red balloon (بالونًا أَحْمَرَ),
And the present's in a lovely box (صُنْدوقٍ جَميلٍ)!
N-n-n... n-n-n!
Nuqta tried to sing along and said, "Nuqtatun!" Haya giggled. "You're a tiny dot with a big voice!"
When Grandma arrived, she found among the presents a note in Haya's handwriting: «جَدَّتي حُبٌّ كَبيرٌ» (My grandma is a big love).
Grandma's eyes sparkled. "This is the most beautiful present! A kind word from a little heart."
Haya hugged her, and they sang together: "N-n-n!"
Let's practise (هيّا نتمرّن):
1. Read and listen for the Noon: قَمَرٌ (a moon) — شَمْسًا (a sun) — بَيْتٍ (a house) — وَرْدَةٌ (a rose)
2. Which tanween is in each word (damma, fatha, kasra)? كِتابٌ — قَلَمًا — بابٍ
3. Clap the tanween dance: top (ـٌ), middle (ـً), bottom (ـٍ).
4. Circle the word with tanween: البَيْتُ — بَيْتٌ — بَيْتي
Answers: 2) كِتابٌ: damma, قَلَمًا: fatha, بابٍ: kasra. 4) بَيْتٌ.
