Arabic: An Essential Grammar

7.6 The maddah sign

The maddah sign د ٌةََّم is a long slanting or curved superscript line

representing the

alif, which is written above another

alif to signify the

lengthening of /

a/ as /

a ̄/. It is used when an

alif which has hamzah and

fath

̇

ah (َأ) is followed by another

alif (َأا). The

alif, hamzah and fath

̇

ah

are all omitted, and only one

alif is written with the sign maddah above

it as اƒ (for: َأا), which is pronounced as /

a ̄/. This is to avoid having to

write the

alif twice, e.g.

When an

alif having hamzah and fath

̇

ah (^) َأ is followed by another


alif
with hamzah and suku ̄n (ْأ), only one


alif is written with maddah above
it اƒ (for: َأ ْأ), which is also pronounced /


a ̄/. In this way one avoids
having to write two glottal stops in one syllable, e.g.
Exercises
Read and practise your handwriting:
ا ُنƒَأْل ُق ْر (for:َأْل ُق ْر َأا ُن) ا ُهƒَر (for:َر َأا ُه)


al-qur


a ̄nu, the Quran ra


a ̄-hu, he saw him/it
ا َم َنƒ (for: َأ ْأ َم َن) ا َن َسƒ (for:َأ ْأ َن َس)


a ̄mana, to believe


a ̄nasa, to be amused
َث ْأ ٌر ِإ َما ٌم ا َخ َرƒ م َها ٌت َأ ْخ َبا ٌرَّ ُأ
(1) t
̄
a


run


ima ̄mun


a ̄h
̆
ara


ah
̆
ba ̄run


ummaha ̄tun
revenge prayer leader another news (pl.) mothers
َأ ْن َت َم ْب َد ٌأ لا ُنƒْ ُأ ُذ ٌن َم ِإ ْب ٌط
(2)


anta mabda


un mal


a ̄nu


ud
̄
unun


ibt
̇
un
you (m.) principle full ear armpit
ا ُبƒ ِإ ْن َتا ٌج ا َلƒ ِإي َجا ٌر َب ْأ ًسا
(3)


a ̄bu


inta ̄g ̆un


a ̄la ba


san


ı

• g ̆a ̄run

August production to return harm rent

Hamzah

(hamzatu

l-qat

̇



i) and

the maddah

sign

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