SEASONS and WEATHER
Fa
l = Season
(plural: fu
uul)
ar-Rabiic = Spring
a
-Sayf = Summer
al-Khariif = Fall
ash-Shitaa' = Winter
a
-Taqs = the weather
(also al-jaww; Egyptians say ig-gaww)
Ma
ar = rain
Mum
ir = rainy
ash-Shams - The Sun
Mushmis = sunny
Baarid = cold
aarr =
hot
[note that "
aarr"
and "baarid" are used with things, and "
arraan"
and "bardaan" are used with people]
Examples:
Na
nu al-aan fii fa
l
ar-rabiic.
We are now in the season of spring.
Kaana haathaa ash-shitaa' baarid jiddan.
This winter was very cold.
Fii ar-rabiic a
-
aqs
jamiil jiddan fii Philadelphia.
In spring the weather is very beautiful in Philadelphia.
A
-
aqs
al-yawm
aarr wa
mushmis.
The weather today is hot and sunny.
Ams kaana a
-
aqs
mushmis aydan.
Yesterday the weather was sunny too.
Yawm al-Jumcah kaana a
-
aqs
mum
ir.
Friday the weather was rainy.
Fii ash-shitaa' a
-
aqs
baarid wa mum
ir fii Philadelphia.
In winter the weather is cold and rainy in Philadelphia.
Wa fii a
-
ayf
a
-
aqs
aarr
wa mushmis.
And in the summer the weather is hot and sunny.
Sun letters and Moon letters
These terms are used to describe the difference in the way letters are
pronounced in Arabic. There are 2 groups--the "Sun letters" and the
"Moon letters."
With Sun letters, the "Al-" of the definite article ("the") gets assimilated
to the following letter. This means that the L is actually pronounced
like the consonant
which follows it, as in "ash-Shams" The Sun. With Moon letters,
the L of the Al- is pronounced as normal, like an L, as in "al-Qamar" The
Moon. This is why we say AR-Rabiic (Spring) but AL-Khariif
(Fall.) To pronounce the definite article AL- correctly, you need
to know if the letter following it is a Sun letter or a
Moon letter. It is easiest just to remember how words are pronounced,
rather than memorizing a list of letters, but for reference the Sun letters
are: t, th, d, th, r, z,
s, sh,
, daad,
,
TH,
and n. (these are the letters pronounced at the front of your mouth,
with your tongue against your teeth.) All the other letters are Moon
letters.
ash-Shams - The Sun
uruuf shamsiyyah
= "Sun letters"
al-Qamar - The Moon
uruuf qamariyyah
= "Moon letters"