Arabic · Level 1 of 4
Reading & writing foundations
Build a solid foundation in Arabic reading and writing.
This beginner-friendly level introduces the Arabic alphabet, the vowel marks and the rules of basic spelling and pronunciation. You’ll also meet essential grammar like masculine and feminine and solar and lunar letters, with more than 240 words and plenty of hands-on practice.
Cancel any time during the trial and you won't be charged.
الْمُسْتَوَى الْأَوَّلُ
كِتَابٌ
kitābun
a book
Included with this level
- Accredited certificate
- Progress and achievement tracked throughout the course
- Answers to all your questions from student supervisors
- Achievement badges for advanced students
- Reminders and motivational notifications to help you finish
What you'll learn
By the end of level 1, you can
- 1
Recognise and write all 28 letters, on their own and joined together
- 2
Read words with every vowel mark: fatha, damma, kasra, sukoon, shadda and tanween
- 3
Pronounce the long vowels and tell solar letters from lunar letters
- 4
Use more than 240 everyday words and tell masculine from feminine, definite from indefinite
Read it in Arabic
A taste of level 1
Written with full vowel marks, the way you'll meet it in the lessons.
بَ · بُ · بِ
ba · bu · bi
One letter, three short vowels
بَابٌ
bābun
a door
قَلَمٌ
qalamun
a pen
بَيْتٌ
baytun
a house
الشَّمْسُ · الْقَمَرُ
ash-shamsu · al-qamaru
the sun · the moon: a solar and a lunar letter
مُعَلِّمٌ · مُعَلِّمَةٌ
muʿallimun · muʿallimatun
a teacher (m.) · a teacher (f.)
Topics
What level 1 covers
- Letters, short vowels, sukoon, madd, shadda, tanweenالحروف، الحركات، السكون، المد، الشدة، التنوين
- Writing and beginner-level spelling rulesتعلم الكتابة وقواعد الإملاء المناسبة للمبتدئين
- Numbers and punctuationالأرقام وعلامات الترقيم
- Masculine and feminineالمذكر والمؤنث
- Solar and lunar lettersالحروف القمرية والشمسية
- 240+ new wordsأكثر من ٢٤٠ كلمة جديدة
- 01The Arabic lettersالحروف العربية
- 02Fatha: the short aالفتحة
- 03Damma: the short uالضمة
- 04Kasra: the short iالكسرة
- 05Letters written on their ownالحروف المنفصلة
- 06Joined lettersالحروف المتصلة
- 07Sukoon: no vowelالسكون
- 08Long ā with alifالمد بالألف
- 09Long ū with wāwالمد بالواو
- 10Long ī with yāʾالمد بالياء
- 11Shadda: doubled lettersالتشديد
- 12Tanween: the -n endingالتنوين
- 13Masculine and feminineالمذكر والمؤنث
- 14Indefinite and definiteالنكرة والمعرفة
Final examالاختبار النهائي
Who it's for
- Complete beginners who can’t read Arabic script yet
- Learners who can sound out some letters but never learned the rules properly
- Anyone, whatever their mother tongue, who wants to read Arabic, including the Qur’an, with the right vowels
Before you start
Nothing. Level 1 starts from the very first letter.
Your teacher
Abdullah Yousri
Lead instructor at Lsaan · Arabic language expert for non-native speakers
Abdullah Yousri has spent more than 12 years teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, with over 800 students from the UK, France, Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan and beyond.
He graduated from Dar Al-Uloom, Cairo University, in 2010 with a degree in Arabic Language and Islamic Studies, and since 2012 has focused on clear, accessible methods for non-Arabic speakers. In 2018 he founded the AlKesaie Center for Arabic and the Qur'an, whose lessons on YouTube and Telegram have reached thousands of students.
He combines deep classical knowledge with modern teaching, so every level stays clear and practical.
Try level 1 free for 3 days
One subscription opens all four levels, with every lesson, summary and quiz.
Cancel any time during the trial and you won't be charged.
Questions about level 1
Something else on your mind? Write to us
Do I need any Arabic before level 1?
No. Level 1 starts from the first letter. A native teacher explains every lesson in clear, slow Arabic with English support, and each unit has a written summary you can come back to.
Will I learn to write, or only to read?
Both. You learn how each letter is written on its own and joined to others, along with beginner spelling rules, numbers and punctuation.
I can already read a little. Should I start here?
If you can read words with all their vowel marks, including shadda and tanween, you can start at level 2. If you hesitate, level 1 will make everything after it easier, and your subscription includes every level.
How long does a level take?
The four levels are designed for about a year at a steady pace, so plan on roughly three months per level. You can go faster or slower.
What do I get with the 3-day free trial?
Full access to every lesson, summary and quiz in all four levels, not just this one. Cancel from your account page during the trial and you pay nothing.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Pass the final exam and you receive a certificate for level 1.