Dari has five long vowels: aa, u ,oo, i, and ii represented by three letters of the Dari Alphabet.
|
Alone |
Final |
Medial |
Initial |
Transliteration |
Remarks |
|
ا را |
ﺎ پا |
ﺎ باد |
ا او |
aa |
Represents the vowel aa as in "ball" in a medial or final position: "wind" baad باد = ﺑ + ﺎ + د "we" maa ما = ﻣ + ﺎ The vowel aa in an initial position is written آ and known as alef madda: "water" aab آب = آ + ب "the sky" aasmaan آسمان = آ + ﺳ + ﻤ + ﺎ + ن Alef is written before the letters ی and و representing vowels at the beginning of a word: "this" in این = ا + ﻳ + ﻦ "he" oo او = ا + و This letter is not joined to the letters following it, but is joined to the preceding letters (if the preceding letter is not one of this kind): "horse" asb اسب = ا + ﺳ + ﺐ "clothes" jaama جامه = ﺟ + ﺎ + ﻣ + ﻪ In the following word, the letters are not joined to each other because the first and the second ones are not joined to the following letter (as was mentioned above): "crow" zaagh زاغ = ز + ا + غ |
|
و دو |
و دور |
ﻮ موزه |
و Never as a vowel |
u, oo |
Represents u or oo vowels as in "root," "moon," "do": "good" khub خوب = ﺧ + ﻮ + ب "salty" shoor شور = ﺷ + ﻮ + ر "he" oo او = ا + و "two" du دو = د + و Pronunciation Tip: It is rather difficult to identify u from oo in speech. It is not necessary to pay special attention to the difference in the pronunciation of these sounds. This letter is not joined to the letters following it, but is joined to the preceding letters (if the preceding letter is not one of this kind): "power" qhova قوه = ﻗ + ﻮ + ه "salty" shoor شور = ﺷ + ﻮ + ر In the following word the letters are not joined to each other because all of them are not joined to the following letter (as was mentioned above): "day" rooz روز = ر + و + ز |
|
ی مادی |
ﻰ آبی |
ﻴ بیل |
ﻳ یاد |
i,ii
|
Articulated clearly and may represent the i sound as in "feel" or the ii sound, which varies from the sound e of the diphthong ei in "may" to the sound e:, which does not occur in English: "milk" shir شیر = ﺷ + ﻴ + ﺮ "table" miiz میز = ﻣ + ﻴ + ﺰ "thirty" si سی = ﺳ + ﻰ Pronunciation Tip: It is rather difficult to identify i from ii in speech. It is not necessary to pay special attention to the difference in the pronunciation of these sounds. Represents the Ezafa (see The Ezafa) in certain contexts and is pronounced ye: "good place" jaa-ye khub جای خوب |
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