Learning Arabic

I've decided to start learning Arabic, but let me tell you, native English speakers, it's not easy. There are several letters in the arabic alphabet that don't have equivalents in the English language. And vowels make NO sense to me at all. When do I use an actual vowel versus a line signaling a vowel? And why are letters written differently based on where they are in the word? There are different ways to write letters depending on their position at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. Not to mention writing in the opposite direction as well. This seems impossible!

But I'm determined. Although it seems like a daunting task now, I'm sure it will become easier over time. The writing is so beautiful. I can't wait until I can understand Arabic.

If you're a beginner like me and want to start learning Arabic, I recommend this Learn Arabic with Maha on YouTube. Also, this video is a big help with the alphabet for true newbies. And take a peek at this list of basic phrases from Linguanaut to get you started. I think you should join me in learning Arabic so we can complain about how difficult it is together!

Ma’a salama