Learn the Arabic Alphabet: The letter ‘د’ (Daal)
We continue with the Arabic Alphabet series, and in this article, we look at the eighth letter: the letter ‘د’ (Daal).
We will get introduced to the letter, how it is pronounced and written. We will also see it in word examples and in sentences, both in Arabic and English.
At the end of this article, you will have the chance to take a quick quiz to test your understanding of the letter and how to use it in making words and sentences in Arabic.
Are you ready?
How to Pronounce Letter د (Daal)
So, how do we pronounce the letter د (Daal)? This letter is simply pronounced like the letter D in English Language. For example, the “D” sound in a word like “Door” is a similar sound to the sound of د in دار (Daar), or “House”.
The right way to pronounce the letter د (Daal), which is a dental sound, is by placing the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth. Being a voiced consonant, your vocal cords should vibrate when pronouncing it.
How to Write Letter د (Daal)
Now, let’s talk about a unique feature in how to write the letter ‘د’ (Daal), which we will see in other Arabic letters in future articles.
The letter ‘د’ (Daal) differs in the way it connects to other letters when compared to the first seven Arabic letters that we have studied so far.
The letter ‘د’can only be connected with the letter before it and cannot be connected with the letter after it. For example, in the word دبّ (Dubb), meaning “Bear”, the letter د is used in its isolated form and is not connected to the letter ب (Baa).
Another thing to keep in mind is that the letter ‘د’ is one of the “sun letters” in Arabic. When the definite article الـ (al-) is added to a word starting with د, the “ل” in الـ is assimilated, and the د is doubled. For example:
دَرْس → الدَّرْس (pronounced ad-dars).
Now let’s look at some words that feature the letter د (Daal), along with their English translations and example sentences:
Letter ‘د’ (Daal) in initial position
Lesson
Dars
دَرس
The students attended the Arabic lesson.
Ḥaḍara alṭlābu darsa allughati al-ʻArabīyah
حَضَرَ الطلابُ دَرسَ اللغةِ العربية
Bear
Dubb
دُبّ
The bear lives in the forest.
Yʻyshu aldubuu fī al-ghābah.
يعيشُ الدب في الغابة
Country
Dawla
دَولة
The United Arab Emirates is a developed country.
Alʼmārātu alʻrbytu almutḥdtu dawltun mutqdmah
الإماراتُ العربيةُ المُتحدةُ دَولةٌ مُتقدمة
Bicycle
Darrājh
دَرّاجة
I bought a new bicycle yesterday.
Ishtaraytu darrājtan jadydatan ams
اشتريتُ دَرّاجةً جديدةً أمس
Religion
Dīn
دِين
Islam is a religion of peace and love.
Alʼislāmu dīnu alslāmi wālmḥbh
الإسلامُ دِينُ السلامِ والمحبة
Letter 'د' (Daal) in the middle position
School
Madrasa
مدرسة
The children go to school every morning.
Yadhhbu alʼṭfālu ilá almdrsti kula Ṣabāḥ
يذهبُ الأطفالُ إلى المدرسةِ كلَّ صباح.
Gift
Hadiyya
هدية
My friend gave me a beautiful gift on my birthday.
Aʻṭāny Ṣiddīqī hadytan jmyltan fī ʻĪd Mīlādī.
أعطاني صديقي هديةً جميلةً في عيد ميلادي.
Friend
Sadeeq
صديق
I have a loyal friend.
Ladayya ṣadyqun wfyun
لدي صديقٌ وفيٌّ
Old
Qadima
قديمة
This car is old, but it works well.
Hadhhi alsyārtu qdimatun lknhā tʻmlu jydān
هذهِ السيارةُ قديمةٌ لكنها تعملُ جيدا
Coincidence
Sudfa
صدفة
We met by coincidence in the market.
Altqynā ṣudftan fī alswqi
التقينا صُدفةً في السوقِ.
Letter 'د' (Daal) in final position
Boy
Walad
وَلَد
This is a smart boy.
Hādhā wldun Dhakī
هذا ولدٌ ذكي
Grandfather
Jadd
جَدّ
The child loves sitting with his grandfather.
Yuḥbuu alṭiiflu an yajlisa maʻa jaddhi
يُحبُّ الطِفلُ أن يَجلِسَ مع جَدّهِ
Country
Balad
بَلَد
I live in a beautiful country.
Anā aʻyshu fī baladin jamylin
أنا أعيشُ في بَلَدٍ جَميلٍ.
Good
Jayid
جَيد
The food in this restaurant is very good.
Alṭaaʻāmu fī Hādhā almṭʻmi jaydun jiddan
الطَعامُ في هذا المطعمِ جَيدٌ جداً
Hail
Barad
بَرَد
the crops have been ruined by hail
al-Maḥāṣīl dummirat bi-sabab albarad.
المحاصيل دُمّرت بسبب البَرَد
Quick Quiz
Now, take a moment to finish this quick quiz to consolidate your information about the letter د (Daal) and how it is written and used in Arabic words and sentences.
Which of the following words starts with the Arabic letter 'د' (Daal)?
A. ولد
B. دولة
C. صدفة
D. كتاب
What is the English translation of 'دَجاجة'?
A. Duck
B. Chicken
C. Eagle
D. Goat
Which of these words does NOT contain the Arabic letter 'د' (Daal) in the middle?
A. مدرسة
B. قديمة
C. مدينة
D. درس
Which of these words does NOT have the Arabic letter 'د' (Daal) at the end?
A. بلد
B. سعيد
C. ورد
D. صديق
- B. دولة
- B. Chicken
- D. درس
- D. صديق
Final word
Like with any new Arabic letter you learn, you will need to practice it consistently, in writing and speaking.
A good way to do that is to use flashcards with Arabic words with the letter د (Daal). You can also identify objects in your surroundings that have the letter د (Daal) and label them in Arabic.
If you found this article helpful, make sure to read other articles in the Arabic Alphabet Series.
And don’t forget to download AlifBee App to start your Arabic language journey the right way, through fun and interactive exercises.
