What is hamza in Arabic?

What is hamza in Arabic? hamza is the first letter of the Arabic Alphabet (alif, ba, ta, tha, …): the alif اَلْأَلِف. However, the alif can be a hamza and an alif al-madd أَلِفُ الْمَدِّ. This is determined by its shape, its position in the word, and the diacritical mark (i.e., the short vowel that accompanies it).

Types of alif:

There are two types of alif: the hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ and alif al-madd أَلِفُ الْمَدِّ. In Arabic grammar, the hamza is called the firm alif, while alif al-madd is called the flaccid alif. Being firm, the hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ is accompanied by the short vowels الْحَرَكَاتُ الْقَصِيرَةُ. By the same token, as it is flaccid, alif al-madd أَلِفُ الْمَدِّ is not accompanied by the short vowels. Rather, it is always saakin سَاكِن; that is, it is not accompanied by any vowel. The hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ occurs at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of words, while alif al-madd أَلِفُ الْمَدِّ occurs in the middle or at the end of words.

The hamza اَلْهَمْزَة:
(A) For being firm, the hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ is always accompanied by a short vowel: fatha, as in (1), (2) , (3), (4), and (6); kasra, as in (7) and (3); or dhamma, as in (5). (B) The hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ of the definite article اَلْ always has fatha over it when it occurs at the beginning of the sentence, as in (8), (9), and (10). The alif of الْ loses the fatha if it does not occur at the beginning of the sentences, as in (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), and (7).  (C) The hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ of اَلْ and the imperative verb اَلْفِعْلُ الْأَمْرُ in (5) and (7) is called alif / hamzat al-wasl. It is alif without the little hamza (ء).  (D) The alif with the little hamza (ء) above or below it, as in (1) and (3), is called alif / hamzat al-qatˁ هَمْزَةُ الْقَطْعِ.	(1) أَكَلْتُ تُفَاحَةً. I ate an apple (2) جَاءَ الْطَّبِيبُ. the physician came (3) أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ. I go to school (4) بَدَأَتِ الْمُبَارَاةُ. the match started (5) اُكْتُبِ الْوَاجِبَ. write the lesson (6) سَأَلْنَا الْمُدَرِّسَ. we asked the teacher (7) اِفْتَحِ الْبَابَ. open the door (8) اَلْمُبَارَاةُ مُمْتَعَةٌ. the match is interesting (9) اَلْمَدْرَسَةُ كَبِيرَةٌ. the school is big (10) اَلْبَابُ مَفْتُوحٌ. the door is open
alif al-madd أَلِفُ الْمَدِّ:
(A) The alif in these words (in blue) is alif al-madd أَلِفُ الْمَدِّ. It is also called alif layyinah أَلِفٌ لَيِّنَةٌ which literally means ‘flaccid alif.’ (B) Since it is flaccid, it does not accept short vowels. So, it is always saakin (i.e.,  accompanied by sukuun). However, the sukuun is not added/written, as it’s become a fact that alif al-madd is always saakin. Aslo, alif al-madd is the long vowel aa (ا), which is a prolongation of fatha.	(1) قَامَ الْوَلَدُ. the boy stood up (2) صَامَ الشَّيْخُ. the old man fasted (3) شَاهَدْنَا الْفِيلْمُ. we watched the film (4) دَعَا مُحَمَّدٌ صَدِيقَهُ. Mohd called his friend (5) قَالَ إِنَّهُ مَرِيضٌ. he said that he was sick

Position of the hamza:

Unlike alif madd أَلِفُ الْمَدِّ, the hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ occurs at the beginning of the word (as أ, إ, or ا), in the middle of the word (as ـأ, ـئـ / ئـ, ـؤ , or ء), or at the end of the word (as أ / ـأ, ـيء, ـئ, ـؤ , or ء).

At the Beginning of the Word:
(A) In these examples, the hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ (in blue) occurs at the beginning of the word. (B) In (1) and (2), it is part of the perfective verb root جَذْرُ الْفِعْلُِ الْمَاضِي, so it is an essential hamza.  (C) In (3) and (4), it occurs at the beginning of the 2nd person masculine singular pronoun (and so is the case with all other 2nd person pronouns) and the 1st person singular pronoun.  (D) In (5) and (6), it indicates the imperfective form of the verb اَلْفِعْلُ الْمُضَارِع and the 1st person singular subject. (E) It is used at the beginning of the imperative verb اَلْفِعْلُ الْأَمْرُ, as in (7) and (8). Here it is hamzat al-wasl. It is also used at the beginning of some nouns and particles, as in (9) and (10).	(1) أَغْلَقَ صَالِحٌ الْبَابَ. Saleh closed the door (2) أَكَلْنَا الْكَعْكَةَ. we ate the cake (3) أَنْتَ مُشَاغِبٌ. you are mischievous (4) أَنَا نَعْسَانُ. I am sleepy (5) أُرِيدُ عَصِيرًا. I want juice (6) أَعْرِفُ الْإِجَابَةَ. I know the answer (7) اُكْتُبِ الْوَاجِبَ. write the homework (8) اِسْمَعْنِي. listen to me (9) أُخْتِي كَاتِبَةٌ. my sister is a writer (10) إِنَّهَا جَمِيلَةٌ. she is beautiful
In the Middle of the Word:
(A) In these examples, the hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ occurs in the middle of the word. (B) It has different shapes ـأ / أ, ـئـ / ئـ, ـؤ , or ء. (C) Its shape is determined by the short vowel (i.e., fatha, kasra, and dhamma) over/below it and over/below the letter that precedes it, see below for explanation.	(1) شَرِبْتُ كَأْسًا مِنَ الْعَصِيرِ. I drank a glass of juice (2) هُوَ جَائِعٌ. he is hungry (3) سَأَلْنَا اَلْمُدَرِّسَ. we asked the teacher (4) رَأْسِي يُؤْلِمُنِي. my head aches (5) فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ بِئْرٌ. there is a well in the desert (6) هَذَا كِتَابُ الْقِرَاءَةِ. this is the reading book
At the End of the Word:
(A) In these examples, the hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ occurs at the end of the word. (B) It has the following shapes: ء, أ, ؤ and ئ. (C) The shape of the hamza at the end of words is determined by the short vowel (i.e., fatha, kasra, and dhamma) over/below the letter that precedes it, see below for explanation.	(1) جَاءَ الْوَزِيرُ. the minister came (2) بَدَأَ السِّبَاقُ. the race started (3) أَنْتَ بَطِيءٌ. you are slow (4) لَمْ يَتَنَاوَلِ الدَّوَاءَ. he did not take the medicine (5) هَذَا لُؤْلُؤٌ جَمِيلٌ. this is beautiful pearl (6) هُوَ قَارِئٌ جَيِّدٌ. he is a good reader

The hamza as a particle:

The hamza اَلْهَمْزَةُ, namely أَ with fatha over it, is used as a particle of interrogation حَرْفُ اِسْتِفْهَام (i.e., to ask a yes-no question). It is used in the same way as the word هَلْ. The only difference between the two is that the questions with which hamza is used are formal. To form yes-no questions in Arabic, you simply put هَلْ or أَ at the beginning of the verbal and/or nominal sentence (see the table below). The answer to these questions is نَعَمْ ‘yes’ or لَا ‘no.’ If the hamza, as an interrogative particle, is used to ask a negative yes-no question, such as أَلَمْ تَذْهَبْ؟ ‘didn’t you go?’, the answer may be بَلَى ‘yes’, if you are affirming the negative.

أَ ….؟	هَل …؟
أَأَنْتِ نَادِيَةُ؟	هَلْ أَنْتِ نَادِيَةُ؟ are you Nadia
أَهَذَا كِتَابُكَ؟	هَلْ هَذَا كِتَابُكَ؟    is this your book
أَذَهَبَ إِلَى الْمُؤْتَمَرِ؟	هَلْ ذَهَبَ إِلَى الْمُؤْتَمَرِ؟ did he go to the conference
أَيُحِبُّونَ الْفَاكِهَةَ؟	هَلْ يُحِبُّونَ الْفَاكِهَةَ؟ do they like fruit
(أَاْ) آلْكِتَابُ مَعَكَ؟	هَلِ الْكِتَابُ مَعَكَ؟ is the book with you (m, s)

The Shape of the hamza:

At the Beginning of the Word:
(A) If the hamza (ء) اَلْهَمْزَةُ has fatha or dhamma over it, it is always placed over the alif, as in (1) and (3). (B) If the hamza (ء) اَلْهَمْزَةُ has kasra below it, it is always written below the alif, as in (2).	(1) أَكَلَ  he ate – أَغْلَقَ  he closed – أَكْتُبُ   I write – أُرِيدُ أَنْ … I want to – أَنْتُم  you (m, p) – أَعْتَقِدُ أَنَّ … I believe that (2) إِلَى  to – إِذَا  if – إِغْلَاق  closing – إِسْلَام  Islam (3) أُغْلِقُ  I close – أُشَاهِدُ  I watch – اُكَلِّمُ  I talk to
In the Middle of the Word:
(A) If the letter before the hamza has fatha or sukuun over it, the hamza is placed over the alif, as in (1), (2), and (3). In this case, the diacritical mark over the hamza can be fatha or sukuun.  (B) If the letter before it has kasra below it or is alif al-madd, the hamza is placed on the line (also called nebra) ـئـ, as in (4) and (5). The diacritic over/below it is either sukuun or kasra. Also, if the letter before it has fatha over it, and it has kasra below it, then it is written on the line/nebra ـئِـ, as in (6).  (C) If the letter before it has dhamma over it and the hamza has sukuun, dhamma, or fatha over it, then it is placed on و , i.e. ـؤ, as in (7), (8), and (9). (D) If the letter before it has sukuun over it or is alif al-madd, the hamza is written on the line by itself ء, as in (10) and (11), and the diacritic that goes with it is the fatha.	(1) رَأْسٌ  a head – كَأْسٌ  a glass (2) سَأَلَ  he asked – رَأَى he saw (3) فَجْأَةً suddenly – يَسْأَلُ he asks – مَرْأَةٌ a woman  (4) بِئْرٌ  a well – جِئْتُ  I came (5) حَائِطٌ a wall – أَصْدِقَائِهِ his friends (6) لَئِيمٌ wicked – يَئِسَ he despaired (7) مُؤْلِمٌ  painful –  مُؤْمِنٌ  a believer (8) رُؤُوسٌ heads – شُؤُونٌ affairs (9) سُؤَالٌ a question – مُؤَلِّفٌ an author (10) تَوْءَمٌ  a twin – نُبُوءَةٌ prophecy (11) قِرَاءَةٌ reading – كَفَاءَةٌ capability
At the End of the Word:
(A) If the letter before the hamza has fatha over it, the hamza is placed over the alif, as in (1) and (2).  (B) If the letter before it has sukuun over it or is alif al-madd, the hamza is placed by itself on the line, as in (3) and (4).  (C) If the letter before it has dhamma over it, the hamza is placed on و, i.e. ـؤ, as in (5).  (D) If the letter before it has kasra below it, the hamza is written like this ئ, as in (6).	(1) بَدَأَ  he started – قَرَأَ he read (2) مَلْجَأٌ  a shelter –  يَقْرَأُ he reads (3) جَاءَ  he came – اَلْمَاءَ the water (4) شَيْء  a thing – عِبْء a burden (5) لُؤلُؤٌ  pearl – بَطُؤ it became slow (6) شَاطِئ a beach ، قَارِئ a reader
Note: there are other rules for writing the hamza, but these are the most common.

Two Types of hamza:

From the above explanation and from the previous lesson, you can see that there are two types of hamza: alif al-wasl or hamzat al-wasl and alif al-qaT‘ or hamzat al-qaT‘ هَمْزَةُ الْقَطْعِ, which means ‘disjunctive alif’. Both refer to the alif at the beginning of words.

alif al-qaT‘ is the alif that has hamza (ء) over or below it, while alif al-wasl is not accompanied by hamza. While alif al-wasl is only pronounced at the start of sentences, alif al-qaT‘ is always pronounced even if the word in which it occurs is in the middle of the sentence. For this reason, it is called ‘disjunctive’, that is, it disallows blending / linking with the preceding word.