Fablingo / Fablingo Arabic / Level A1
Episode 23 · This is a book
Duration: 6:31
▶ 3 November
After this lesson you can:
I can point at a thing and name it — this (m) / this (f).
In this episode
At the calligraphy table where he learned his letters, Ustadh Farid — the grandfather Sam didn't know he came for — sets down a book, a pen, a cup, and teaches him to *point and name*, gently splitting the world into he-things and she-things. Sam notices the two "this" words and can't yet feel why; Farid just smiles: "*baʿda qalīl*" — soon.
Welcome back to the Book Quarter. It's a quiet morning, and the light is falling perfectly across Ustadh Farid's front window. Sam is sitting at the very same wooden table where, weeks ago, he learned to hold a reed pen.
He knows all the letters now. He can sound out the signs on the street. But sounding out letters isn't the same as knowing what they mean. Today, Farid is going to help him bridge that gap.
Farid sets a thick, leather-bound volume down on the table between them. He taps the cover twice with his index finger.
هٰذا كِتاب.
هٰذا كِتاب. — This is a book. · HAA-dhaa ki-TAAB
This is a book. هٰذا means 'this'. And كِتاب is 'book'. Notice something missing? There is no word for 'is'.
هٰذا كِتاب. — This is a book. · HAA-dhaa ki-TAAB
In Arabic, you don't say 'this is a book'. You just say 'this book', and the 'is' is understood. It makes the language incredibly efficient. Say it with me: هٰذا كِتاب.
هٰذا كِتاب. — This is a book. · HAA-dhaa ki-TAAB
A little slower. Make sure to drag out the 'a' in book. هٰذا كِتاب.
هٰذا كِتاب. — This is a book. · HAA-dhaa ki-TAAB
هٰذا كِتاب.
هٰذا كِتاب. — This is a book. · HAA-dhaa ki-TAAB
Before Sam can celebrate his first full sentence of the morning, a familiar scent drifts in. Umm Nadia steps through the doorway, carrying a steaming little cup.
هٰذِهِ قَهْوة.
هٰذِهِ قَهْوة. — This is a coffee. · HAA-dhi-hi QAH-wa
Wait. A second ago, 'this' was هٰذا. Why did Farid just say هٰذِهِ?
هٰذِهِ قَهْوة. — This is a coffee. · HAA-dhi-hi QAH-wa
Because Arabic splits the world in two: he-things and she-things. Coffee is a she-thing. We know because قَهْوة ends in that little tied-up letter, the feminine marker. So 'this' must change to match it. Try the feminine 'this' with me: هٰذِهِ قَهْوة.
هٰذِهِ قَهْوة. — This is a coffee. · HAA-dhi-hi QAH-wa
Don't forget the deep, breathy h in the middle of coffee. Let's say it naturally. هٰذِهِ قَهْوة.
هٰذِهِ قَهْوة. — This is a coffee. · HAA-dhi-hi QAH-wa
هٰذِهِ قَهْوة.
هٰذِهِ قَهْوة. — This is a coffee. · HAA-dhi-hi QAH-wa
Let's quickly check what we've got so far. Two ways to point at the world. For a masculine word, we say هٰذا كِتاب. This is a book. And for a feminine word, we say هٰذِهِ قَهْوة. This is a coffee.
Sam looks down at the table. He knows book, and he knows coffee. But right in the middle of the wood sits Farid's beautiful, ink-stained reed tool. Sam points to it, looking at Farid.
ما هٰذا؟
ما هٰذا؟ — What is this? · maa HAA-dhaa
Farid knows exactly what Sam is trying to ask. ما هٰذا means 'what is this?'. ما is the question word for 'what', used only for things, not people.
ما هٰذا؟ — What is this? · maa HAA-dhaa
It's the most useful phrase in any beginner's pocket. You point, and you ask. Say it with me: ما هٰذا؟
ما هٰذا؟ — What is this? · maa HAA-dhaa
ما هٰذا؟
ما هٰذا؟ — What is this? · maa HAA-dhaa
هٰذا قَلَم.
هٰذا قَلَم. — This is a pen. · HAA-dhaa QA-lam
This is a pen. هٰذا قَلَم. The word starts with a heavy, throaty sound. It's not a soft k, it's a deep ق, struck at the back of the throat.
هٰذا قَلَم. — This is a pen. · HAA-dhaa QA-lam
If you use a light k, you're saying 'dog'. You definitely don't want to say 'this is a dog' when asking for a pen! Try the heavy sound with me: هٰذا قَلَم.
هٰذا قَلَم. — This is a pen. · HAA-dhaa QA-lam
Once more, nice and clear. هٰذا قَلَم.
هٰذا قَلَم. — This is a pen. · HAA-dhaa QA-lam
هٰذا قَلَم.
هٰذا قَلَم. — This is a pen. · HAA-dhaa QA-lam
Sam is on a roll. He has a book, a coffee, and a pen. He decides to push his luck. He pats the heavy wood they are leaning on.
هٰذا... طاوِلة؟
هٰذِهِ طاوِلة.
هٰذِهِ طاوِلة. — This is a table. · HAA-dhi-hi ṬAA-wi-la
Farid gently corrects him. The word for table, طاوِلة, ends in that same feminine tied-up letter. So it has to be a she-thing. We need the feminine 'this'.
هٰذِهِ طاوِلة. — This is a table. · HAA-dhi-hi ṬAA-wi-la
Listen to the very first sound. It's a heavy, thick T. Not a light tap, but a strong drumbeat. طاوِلة. Say the whole sentence with me: هٰذِهِ طاوِلة.
هٰذِهِ طاوِلة. — This is a table. · HAA-dhi-hi ṬAA-wi-la
هٰذِهِ طاوِلة.
هٰذِهِ طاوِلة. — This is a table. · HAA-dhi-hi ṬAA-wi-la
Sam looks at the four things in front of him. A book. A pen. A coffee. A table. For the first time, he isn't just reading random letters on a wall. He is naming the world.
He looks up at Farid. 'Will I ever just... know?' Sam asks. Farid's eyes crinkle at the corners. He takes a slow sip of his own coffee.
'Soon,' Farid says softly in Arabic. 'Ba'da qaleel.' Sam traces the edge of the leather book. The door is definitely open.
Before we let Sam practice on his own, let's review the five keys we found today. هٰذا كِتاب. This is a book. هٰذِهِ قَهْوة. This is a coffee. ما هٰذا؟ What is this? هٰذا قَلَم. This is a pen. And هٰذِهِ طاوِلة. This is a table.
You are building a world one word at a time, just like Sam. We'll be right back here in the quarter next time to add a little more. Remember, we release new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Ma'a as-salama!
Vocabulary
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| هٰذا كِتاب. | This is a book. | |
| هٰذِهِ قَهْوة. | This is a coffee. | |
| ما هٰذا؟ | What is this? | |
| هٰذا قَلَم. | This is a pen. | |
| هٰذِهِ طاوِلة. | This is a table. |
Grammar in this lesson
pointing with هٰذا (this, for a he-word) and هٰذِهِ (this, for a she-word) — and the first full nominal sentences (*hādhā kitāb* — "this book," and it *means* "this is a book," no verb needed). The *ṭ* of *ṭāwila* is the heavy, emphatic T that darkens the whole word. · hādhā, hādhihi, kitāb, qahwa, qalam, ṭāwila, mā?