Mixed language post
Arabic Text on the Modern Web Should Feel Intentional
Supporting Arabic is not just about `dir=rtl`; it is also about rhythm, dignity, and typography.
Arabic support becomes believable when it stops feeling like a fallback mode and starts feeling like one of the core publishing surfaces.
فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
So, surely with hardship comes ease. Surely with that hardship comes more ease.
The obvious technical requirements matter:
- correct
langanddir - a real Arabic font
- generous line height
- enough spacing between Arabic and translation surfaces
But dignity also lives in visual restraint.
اللغة بيت المعنى Language is the house of meaning.
stillness, calm reassurance, inward settling
Translation is part of the layout
When translation is attached too tightly, it feels like annotation. When it has no relationship at all, it feels disconnected. The right layout keeps the pairing visible without flattening the difference between the two texts.