Lesson 1

Practice and Exercises (please email the homework to us)

Part 1: Vocabulary and Script Recognition

1. Read the Pali Phrase:

   • Phrase: "Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi" (I go to the Buddha for refuge).

2. Match the Script:

   • Match the Pali phrase to its representation in different scripts. Write the correct script next to each country:

   • a. Burmese: __________

   • b. Sinhalese: __________

   • c. Thai: __________

   • d. Devanagari: __________

   • e. Roman/Latin: __________

3. Scripts:

   • ဗုဒ္ဓံ သရဏံ ဂစ္ဆာမိ

1. බුද්‌ධං සරණං්‌ගච්‌ඡාමි

1. พุทฺธํ สรณํ คจฺฉามิ

1. बुद्धं सरणं गच्छामि

1. Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi

Part 2: Vowel Sounds

4. Identify the Vowels:

   • From the following words, identify and write down whether the vowels are short (S) or long (L):

   • a. anicca (impermanence) - _____

   • b. saddhā (faith) - _____

   • c. utti (rise) - _____

   • d. sīla (virtue) - _____

   • e. uttama (best) - _____

Part 3: Diacritical Marks

5. Diacritical Marks Exercise:

   • Write down the word and identify the diacritical mark used:

   • a. dāna (giving) - Diacritical mark: __________

   • b. māta (mother) - Diacritical mark: __________

   • c. ñāṇa (knowledge) - Diacritical mark: __________

Part 4: Pronunciation Practice

6. Pronunciation Drill:

   • Practice saying the following words aloud. Focus on the long and short vowels:

   • a. pīti (joy)

   • b. vacā (speech)

   • c. bhūmi (ground)

   • d. khema (safety)

7. Reflection:

   • Write a brief paragraph (3-5 sentences) about your experience learning Pali. What aspects do you find interesting or challenging?