Hello, dear Arabic learners!
Today’s letter is a special letter in the Arabic Alphabet. It’s the letter ق qāf. It’s the first letter in common Arabic words, such as qalb قلب which means “heart” and the word qalam قلم which means pen.
The letter ق qāf is another unique letter in the Arabic Alphabet. Its sound does not exist in English and is rare among Indo-European languages. Its distinctive sound gives Arabic its strong, resonant character, especially in recitation of the Qur’an and classical poetry.
It’s also one of the 7 Heavy Letters in Arabic. These emphatic letters are combined in the following mnemonic:
خص ضغط قظ (khā’, ṣād, ḍād, ghayn, ṭā’, qāf, ẓā’)
We will learn more about this heavy letter in detail, how to pronounce the letter qāf, how to write it, its different positions in Arabic words, and a quick quiz at the end to test what we’ve learned together.
How to Pronounce the Letter ق /qāf/
The letter ق (qāf) is a deep sound that comes from the back of the throat.
Let’s practice how to pronounce the letter ق correctly. Raise the back of your tongue close to the soft part of your palate and release the air suddenly, like saying ‘k’ but deeper and heavier in the throat. You can think of the English word “Qatar” but with a more guttural sound.
Did you know?
The letter ف comes from the same root as the word فم (fam), which means “mouth.”
How to Write the Letter ق /qāf/
The letter ق is a bit similar to the letter ف in its shape, with subtle changes.
Let’s look deeper into how to draw the letter qāf.
Isolated
Initial
Medial
Final
ق
قـ
ـقـ
ـق
The isolated form (ق):
First, start with a small loop or curve at the top right. Then, continue the curve to make a round shape. Keep the circle open, and finally put two dots above the loop.
The initial form (قـ): It appears at the beginning of a word.
Start with a small loop at the top right, then extend the line to the left to connect smoothly with the next letter. Place two dots above the curve.
The medial form (ـقــ): It appears in the middle of a word.
Draw a loop with two connecting lines from both sides, right and left. This is because it is connected to letters from both sides. Add two dots above the loop.
The final form (ـق): It appears at the end of a word.
The final form is like the isolated one, but with a connecting line extending from the right of the loop. Don’t forget the two dots above the loop.
Now, let’s look at some words and examples with the letter ق in all its shapes.
Arabic Words with the Letter Qaf
Now, let’s move to see some examples of the Arabic letter qāf in all its shapes:
Letter ق /qāf/ in initial position
Heart
qalb
قَلب
My heart feels happy when I see you.
yashʿuru qalbī bis-saʿādati ʿindamā arāk.
يَشْعُرُ قَلْبِي بِالسَّعَادَةِ عِنْدَمَا أَرَاك
Coffee
Qahwah
قَهْوَة
I drank coffee in the morning.
Sharibtu al-qahwata fī alṣṣabāḥ
شَرِبْتُ القَهْوَةَ في الصَّباح
boat
qārib
قَارِب
The fisherman got into the boat.
Rakiba aṣ-ṣayyādu alqārib
رَكِبَ الصَّيّادُ القَارِب
Moon
qamar
قَمَر
The moon is beautiful tonight.
al-qamaru jamīlun al-laylah
القَمَرُ جَمِيلٌ اللَّيْلَة
reading
Qirāʼah
قِرَاءَة
I love reading in the evening.
Uḥibbu al-qirāʾata fī al-masāʼ
أُحِبُّ القِراءةَ في المَساء
Letter ق /qāf/ in the Middle Position
cow
Baqarh
بَقَرة
I saw a big cow on the farm.
Ra’aytu baqaratan kabīratan fī al-mazraʻah
رَأَيْتُ بَقَرَةً كَبِيرَةً في المَزْرَعَة
field
Ḥaql
حقل
I picked some flowers from the field.
Qaṭaftu baʿḍa az-zuhūri mina al-ḥaql.
قَطَفْتُ بَعْضَ الزُّهُورِ مِنَ الحَقْل
scissors
miqaṣṣ
مِقَص
Don’t play with the scissors!
Lā talʿab bil-miqass!
لَا تَلْعَبْ بِالمِقَص
seat
maqʿad
مَقعَد
Don’t leave your bag on the seat.
Lā tatruk ḥaqībataka ʿalā al-maqʿad.
لا تَتْرُكْ حَقِيبَتَكَ عَلَى المَقْعَد
Beat/rhythm
ʼīqāʿ
إيقاع
I like the fast rhythm in the song.
Uḥibbu al-ʼīqāʿa as-sarīʿa fī al-ʼughnīyah.
أُحِبُّ الإِيقاعَ السَّرِيعَ فِي الأُغْنِيَة
Letter ق /qāf/ in the Final Position
Driver
sāʼiq
سائِق
The driver arrived on time.
Waṣala as-sāʼiqu fī al-waqti al-munāsib.
وَصَلَ السَّائِقُ فِي الوَقْتِ المُنَاسِب
Blue
Azraq
أَزْرَق
I bought the blue dress.
Ishtaraitu al-fustāna al-azraq.
اِشْتَرَيْتُ الفُسْتَانَ الأَزْرَق
penguin
Baṭrīq
بَطرِيق
The penguin lives in cold places.
Yaʿīshu al-baṭrīqu fī amākin bāridah.
يَعِيشُ البَطْرِيقُ فِي أَمَاكِنَ بَارِدَة
Team
Farīq
فَرِيق
The team won the match.
fāza al-farīqu biāl-mubārāh.
فَازَ الفَرِيقُ بِالمُبَارَاة
lightning
Barq
بَرْق
I saw lightning in the sky.
Ra’aytu barqan fī as-samāʾ.
رَأَيْتُ بَرْقًا فِي السَّمَاء
Review the Arabic Alphabet: The letter ق/Qāf/
Quick Quiz
Let’s take a short quiz to test our knowledge of the letter ‘ق’ (Qāf). Choose one correct answer for each question, then check your score in the answers section below.
Which of the following words starts with the Arabic letter ‘ق’ (Qāf)?
A. فَرَس
B. قلم
C. صُوف
D. خَرُوف
What is the English translation of ‘قمر?
A. Book
B. Chair
C. Moon
D. Door
Which of these words contains the Arabic letter ‘ق’ (Qāf) in the middle?
A. تُفَّاح
B. سقف
C. فُنْدُق
D. فَصْل
Which of these words does NOT have the Arabic letter ‘ق’ (Qāf) ?
A. بندق
B. قصر
C. صَقْر
D. مَلِك
- B. قَلم
- C. Moon
- B. سقف
- D. مَلِك
Final word
Finally, make sure to read more about the 7 Heavy Letters in Arabic. We have written a specialized blog about these letters so you conquer your fear of difficult Arabic words and challenges in Arabic pronunciation.
Learning these emphatic letters will help you make real progress in learning the Arabic language.
Try using the letter ق by adding Arabic words with the letter ق in your conversations, practice it in different word positions, and create your own sentences. With practice, you will fully master it.
You can also read more about other Arabic letters in our Arabic Alphabet Series.
And don’t forget to download the AlifBee App, a great assistant in your Arabic learning journey – now with a free 14-day trial!
