What are sarf and nahw in Arabic grammar?
Sarf explains how Arabic words change. Nahw explains how they fit into a sentence. See how you practice both through examples from Hiwar’s curriculum.
Read articleBeing able to pronounce Arabic is a useful starting point. To understand a passage, you also need to know what its words mean and how they work together. Those are skills you can practice directly.
Find the gap in one short passage
Choose a few lines from a lesson you have studied. Underline words you do not know. Then check whether you can explain who is doing what, and when.
If the words are familiar but the sentence is unclear, take that exact sentence to your teacher. It may be a question about pronouns, a verb form or the relationship between words.
Read for an answer
Before rereading, set one question: Where does this person live? What happened yesterday? Why did they choose that meal? Find the information, then explain it in your own words.
Check the words you need for that answer first. Translating every word in a long passage can distract you from its main meaning.
Connect the written words with their sound
When your lesson has a matching recording, listen while following the text. Then listen to a short part without looking. Notice which familiar words you miss.
If the difficulty is mainly hearing words in a sentence, use the listening practice guide.
Build on your reading background
Tell Hiwar about your recitation and reading experience. The placement exam includes written answers and oral recordings, so the advisor can consider your strengths and gaps together.
Fuṣḥā study develops vocabulary and grammar useful for reading. Qurʾānic language and scholarly interpretation also require focused study; the program is not a tafsīr course. Read how Fuṣḥā relates to different goals.