I've found this very helpful, interactive Flash thing that shows you how to write Arabic.

http://www.arabacademy.com/download/...trochange5.swf

I've also checked out a book at the library, Very Simple Arabic Script, by James Peters. Arabic writing looked intimidating to me, but after looking through this book, I've found that it's actually quite logical.

I think I would like to learn Arabic, but it means a lot of dedicated effort to learning that I don't think I could reasonably devote right now. There's also the fact that I wanna learn so many languages that it's probably too many. If only I had access to a course for Arabic. But oh well.

Tell me what you think of that link.

Its a good way to familiarise yourself with the alphabet, but you do realise that for cursive the alphabets are written slightly differeently based on what precedes or follows them?

Here is some more information:

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/arabic.htm

No wonder so many Muslims commit suicide.

Its a phonetic language and easier than English.

The grammar is similar to French grammar; the only adjustment is writing right to left instead of left to right.

Whats the point? In a couple of decades we'll all be speaking chinese....

The calligraphy looks awesome?

Is there any way I could "fake it" and use arabic letters to wrte instead of the nomal letters I use in English? Really what I mean is a 1-1 mapping of A-Z with arabic letters? I could write something in English, re-write is backwards, then replace each letter with a corresponding arabic letter?

I know that's not arabic but I thought it might impress people into thinking I know arabic when in fact I don't.

You could also try using an English to Arabic translator.

No.. that doesn't count. I want to make it seem like I can write something "on the spot." But really, I don't know anything about arabic vocabulary or grammar.

It would be like a cipher thing... replace each letter with something else.

Sorry cannot help you there.

Here are some simple sites for basic vocab and grammar though

http://www.toasterhead.net/arabic/

http://www.geckil.com/~harvest/arabic/index.html

This one is more fun but you need to know how to say the words in Arabic (ie the sounds of each word)

http://www.languageguide.org/arabic/

Here is a nut that needs a' crackin, have gotten no response from the saudi forums I tried.
How do I write "allah molests children"??

It's for a joke card I want to send to some very religious muslim friends of mine.

Just say it in English or whatever the local language is. That way you can be sure they get it.

Here is a nice vocabulary resource:

Arabic Word A Day

http://arabicwordaday.wordpress.com/

Devnagarri looks cooler

absolutely.
i taught myself in less than six months.

ive forgotten ALOT, due to not practicing, but i remember how easy it was to pick up.

Yup. It's really interesting. And I like how each of the letters have basic characteristics that make it obviously different from any other letter if you know what the characteristics are. I suppose one couldn't expect it to be any other way, but yeah.

That drawing says something? That's really awesome.

Any one way of making a written representation of a language loosely based on sounds is just as good as any other. There are 28 distinct, basic letters in the Arabic alphabet if I count correctly, plus some extra, modified letters, so there are enough to assign to each Latin letter.

However, if you care about corresponding each Arabic letter to a Latin letter that makes a similar pronunciation, you'd have a tough time with the vowels. Only one Arabic letter is a true vowel as far as I know, 'alif. They have other ways of indicating vowels, if they do it at all. But then I guess it's kinda pointless to worry about similarities of sound.

What's very amazing about Arabic and all other Semitic languages, such as Hebrew, is their unique way of making words out of basic three-consonant roots, which seems to effectively make it pointless to indicate vowels (unless you're a poor learner).

For example, the root KTB. It's concerned with "writing". Add vowels and affixes around this root and you can make a bunch of words concerned with "writing": kataba "to write"; kitaab "a book"; maktab "an office"; maktaba "a library/bookstore"; mukaatib "a reporter"; maktuub "a letter"; and so on.

That's why its so easy to learn, if you know the roots and how they are represented in different ways, you can recognise words you don't even know.

Is there a pattern in adding vowels to these roots, such that you can predict what a word with a certain intended meaning might be, and actually get it right?

Yes if you find a couple of roots like KTB and write down the associated terms, you'll see what I mean.

http://www.mesiti.it/arabic/wiki/wik...=TheRootSystem

Here is a glossary of roots:

http://wahiduddin.net/words/arabic_glossary.htm

Yes, isn't it? That one was too difficult for me to read, but this one here is the shahada:




* أشهد أن] لا إله إلاَّ الله و [أشهد أن ] محمد رسول الله ]

['ašhadu 'an] lā ilāha illā-llāh, wa ['ašhadu 'anna] muħammadan rasūlu-llāh

Which means: [ I testify that ] There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his prophet.