Learn Kasra Fatha Damma In Arabic

In the Arabic language, there are special marks placed above or below letters that tell us how to pronounce them. These marks are called fatha, kasra, and damma. They are very important because they add short vowel sounds to Arabic words. Without these marks, it would be harder to know how to read and pronounce words correctly.
1. What is Fatha (فَتْحَة)?
A fatha is a small diagonal line (ـَ) placed above a letter. It adds the short vowel sound “a” to the letter. When you see a fatha on a letter, it should be pronounced with a quick “a” sound, similar to the “a” in the word “bat.”
For example:
- بَ is pronounced ba.
Word Examples with Fatha (ـَ)
Arabic Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
---|---|---|
كَتَبَ | kataba | he wrote |
دَرَسَ | darasa | he studied |
أَكَلَ | akala | he ate |
شَرِبَ | shariba | he drank |
فَتَحَ | fataha | he opened |
ذَهَبَ | dhahaba | he went |
قَرَأَ | qara’a | he read |
جَلَسَ | jalasa | he sat |
طَلَبَ | talaba | he requested |
غَسَلَ | ghasala | he washed |
2. What is Kasra (كَسْرَة)?
A kasra is a small diagonal line (ـِ) placed below a letter. It adds the short vowel sound “i” to the letter. When you see a kasra under a letter, it should be pronounced with a quick “i” sound, similar to the “i” in the word “bit.”
For example:
- بِ is pronounced bi.
Examples with Kasra (ـِ)
Arabic Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
---|---|---|
بِقِطَّةٍ | biqittatin | with a cat |
مِفتَاح | miftaah | key |
كِتَاب | kitaab | book |
مِشْبَك | mishbak | clip |
سِمَاعَة | sima’ah | headset |
مِحرَاب | mihrab | niche |
إِسم | ism | name |
بِنَايَة | binaayah | building |
مِلعَقَة | mil’aqa | spoon |
سِرْبَال | sirbaal | garment |
READ ALSO: Understanding The Arabic Letter Raa (R In Arabic ر)
3. What is Damma (ضَمَّة)?
A damma is a small curved mark (ـُ) placed above a letter. It adds the short vowel sound “u” to the letter. When you see a damma on a letter, it should be pronounced with a quick “u” sound, similar to the “u” in the word “put.”
For example:
- بُ is pronounced bu.
Examples with Damma (ـُ)
Arabic Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
---|---|---|
كُرَة | kura | ball |
بُرْج | burj | tower |
طُلَّاب | tullaab | students |
بُيُوت | buyut | houses |
لُغَة | lugha | language |
جُمَل | jumal | sentences |
بُرْتُقَال | burtuqal | orange (fruit) |
عُلُوم | ulum | sciences |
سُوق | suq | market |
طُرُق | turuq | roads |
How Kasra Fatha Damma Help in Reading Arabic
These short vowel marks are used to make sure the words are pronounced correctly. Arabic letters on their own don’t have a vowel sound unless a mark is added. That’s why it’s very important to understand fatha, kasra, and damma when learning how to read Arabic.
Here’s a table showing the Arabic alphabet with fatha, kasra, and damma applied to each letter:
Arabic Letter | With Fatha (ـَ) | With Kasra (ـِ) | With Damma (ـُ) |
---|---|---|---|
ا (Alif) | أَ (a) | إِ (i) | أُ (u) |
ب (Ba) | بَ (ba) | بِ (bi) | بُ (bu) |
ت (Ta) | تَ (ta) | تِ (ti) | تُ (tu) |
ث (Tha) | ثَ (tha) | ثِ (thi) | ثُ (thu) |
ج (Jim) | جَ (ja) | جِ (ji) | جُ (ju) |
ح (Ha) | حَ (ha) | حِ (hi) | حُ (hu) |
خ (Kha) | خَ (kha) | خِ (khi) | خُ (khu) |
د (Dal) | دَ (da) | دِ (di) | دُ (du) |
ذ (Dhal) | ذَ (dtha) | ذِ (dthi) | ذُ (dthu) |
ر (Ra) | رَ (ra) | رِ (ri) | رُ (ru) |
ز (Zay) | زَ (za) | زِ (zi) | زُ (zu) |
س (Sin) | سَ (sa) | سِ (si) | سُ (su) |
ش (Shin) | شَ (sha) | شِ (shi) | شُ (shu) |
ص (Sad) | صَ (sa) | صِ (si) | صُ (su) |
ض (Dad) | ضَ (da) | ضِ (di) | ضُ (du) |
ط (Ta) | طَ (ta) | طِ (ti) | طُ (tu) |
ظ (Za) | ظَ (za) | ظِ (zi) | ظُ (zu) |
ع (Ain) | عَ (a) | عِ (i) | عُ (u) |
غ (Ghain) | غَ (gha) | غِ (ghi) | غُ (ghu) |
ف (Fa) | فَ (fa) | فِ (fi) | فُ (fu) |
ق (Qaf) | قَ (qa) | قِ (qi) | قُ (qu) |
ك (Kaf) | كَ (ka) | كِ (ki) | كُ (ku) |
ل (Lam) | لَ (la) | لِ (li) | لُ (lu) |
م (Mim) | مَ (ma) | مِ (mi) | مُ (mu) |
ن (Nun) | نَ (na) | نِ (ni) | نُ (nu) |
ه (Ha) | هَ (ha) | هِ (hi) | هُ (hu) |
و (Waw) | وَ (wa) | وِ (wi) | وُ (wu) |
ي (Ya) | يَ (ya) | يِ (yi) | يُ (yu) |
This table demonstrates how fatha, kasra, and damma affect the pronunciation of each Arabic letter.
Example Word with All Three Marks
Let’s look at an example that uses all three marks:
- بَتِرُ (batiru)
- Fatha on the first letter makes it ba.
- Kasra on the second letter makes it ti.
- Damma on the third letter makes it ru.
This way, you can clearly see how these marks work together to form the word.
Difference Between Fatha, Kasra, and Damma
The main differences between fatha, kasra, and damma lie in their placement and the vowel sound they represent in Arabic. Here’s a breakdown:
1. Fatha (ـَ)
- Placement: Above the letter.
- Vowel Sound: Represents the short vowel sound “a”, like in the English word “bat.”
- Example: بَ (ba)
2. Kasra (ـِ)
- Placement: Below the letter.
- Vowel Sound: Represents the short vowel sound “i”, like in the English word “bit.”
- Example: بِ (bi)
3. Damma (ـُ)
- Placement: Above the letter, but shaped like a small loop.
- Vowel Sound: Represents the short vowel sound “u”, like in the English word “put.”
- Example: بُ (bu)
Summary of Differences:
- Placement: Fatha and damma are placed above letters, while kasra is placed below.
- Sound:
- Fatha produces an “a” sound,
- Kasra produces an “i” sound,
- Damma produces a “u” sound.
These diacritics are essential for correct pronunciation in Arabic and help distinguish between different meanings of words.
Conclusion
Learning fatha, kasra, and damma is one of the first steps in mastering Arabic pronunciation. They are simple but powerful tools that make reading and speaking Arabic much easier.
When you understand how these marks work, you’ll be able to read Arabic words with confidence and accuracy. Keep practicing, and soon it will become second nature!