Numbers in Arabic

01

Numbers 1 and 2

The numbers ⁧⁧وَاحِدٌ⁩⁩ (wāḥidunwāḥidunwāḥidunwaḥidun) - one and ⁧⁧اِثْنَانِ⁩⁩ (ithnāniithnāniithnāniithnani) - two act as adjectives. They follow the noun they modify and agree with it in gender (masculine or feminine) and case (nominative, accusative, or genitive).

For the number 2, Arabic often uses the dual form of the noun itself (ending in ⁧⁧ـَانِ⁩⁩ (-āni-āni-āni-ani) or ⁧⁧ـَيْنِ⁩⁩ (-ayni)) without explicitly stating the number. However, the number ⁧⁧اِثْنَانِ⁩⁩ (ithnāniithnāniithnāniithnani) can be added for emphasis.

• ⁧عِنْدِي أَخٌ وَاحِدٌ.⁩

  ʿindī akhun wāḥidun.ʿindī akhun wāḥidun.ʿindiy ʾakhun wāḥidun.ʿindy akhun waḥidun.

  I have one brother.

• ⁧زُرْتُ مَدِينَةً وَاحِدَةً.⁩

  zurtu madīnatan wāḥidatan.zurtu madīnatan wāḥidatan.zurtu madiynatan wāḥidatan.zurtu madynatan waḥidatan.

  I visited one city.

• ⁧هُنَاكَ طَالِبَتَانِ اثْنَتَانِ.⁩

  hunāka ṭālibatāni ithnatāni.hunāka ṭālibatāni ithnatāni.hunāka ṭālibatāni ithnatāni.hunaka ṭalibatani ithnatani.

  There are two students (f).

02

Numbers 3 to 10

This group follows a rule often called "gender polarity" or "reverse agreement." The gender of the number must be the opposite of the gender of the singular noun.

• If the singular noun is masculine, the number takes the feminine marker ⁧ة⁩ (t).
• If the singular noun is feminine, the number is masculine (no ⁧ة⁩ (t)).

Additionally, the noun following these numbers must be plural and in the genitive case (ending in ⁧ـٍ⁩ (-in) or ⁧ـِ⁩ (-i)).

• ⁧لَدَيَّ ثَلَاثَةُ أَقْلَامٍ.⁩

  ladayya thalāthatu aqlāmin.ladayya thalāthatu aqlāmin.ladayya thalāthatu ʾaqlāmin.ladaya thalathatu aqlamin.

  I have three pens. (Pen is masculine, so three is feminine).

• ⁧اشْتَرَيْتُ خَمْسَ سَيَّارَاتٍ.⁩

  ishtaraytu khamsa sayyārātin.ishtaraytu khamsa sayyārātin.ishtaraytu khamsa sayyārātin.ishtaraytu khamsa sayaratin.

  I bought five cars. (Car is feminine, so five is masculine).

• ⁧فِي الْغُرْفَةِ أَرْبَعَةُ رِجَالٍ.⁩

  fī al-ghurfati arbaʿatu rijālin.fī al-ghurfati arbaʿatu rid͟jālin.fiy ʾal-ghurfati ʾarbaʿatu riǧālin.fy al-ghurfati arbaʿatu rijalin.

  In the room are four men.

03

Numbers 11 to 19

These numbers are compounds. The noun counted by numbers 11 through 99 is always singular and in the accusative case (ending in ⁧ـً⁩ (-an) or ⁧ـَ⁩ (-a)).

Numbers 11 and 12

Both parts of the number match the gender of the noun.

• ⁧رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا.⁩

  raʾaytu aḥada ʿashara kawkaban.raʾaytu aḥada ʿashara kawkaban.raʾaytu ʾaḥada ʿashara kawkaban.raʾaytu aḥada ʿashara kawkaban.

  I saw eleven planets. (Masculine)

• ⁧جَاءَتْ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ طَالِبَةً.⁩

  jāʾat ithnatā ʿashrata ṭālibatan.d͟jāʾat ithnatā ʿashrata ṭālibatan.ǧāʾat ithnatā ʿashrata ṭālibatan.jaʾat ithnata ʿashrata ṭalibatan.

  Twelve students (f) came. (Feminine)

Numbers 13 to 19

The first part (the unit, 3-9) takes the opposite gender of the noun. The second part (the ten) matches the gender of the noun.

• ⁧عِنْدِي خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ كِتَابًا.⁩

  ʿindī khamsata ʿashara kitāban.ʿindī khamsata ʿashara kitāban.ʿindiy khamsata ʿashara kitāban.ʿindy khamsata ʿashara kitaban.

  I have fifteen books. (Book is masculine: 5 is feminine, 10 is masculine).

• ⁧فِي السَّنَةِ تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا.⁩

  fī as-sanati tisʿata ʿashara yawman.fī as-sanati tisʿata ʿashara yawman.fiy ʾas-sanati tisʿata ʿashara yawman.fy as-sanati tisʿata ʿashara yawman.

  In the year are nineteen days.

04

Numbers 20, 30, 40... (The Decades)

Multiples of ten (20, 30, 40, etc.) do not change based on gender. However, they change based on grammatical case, behaving like regular masculine plural nouns.

• Nominative case: End in ⁧⁧ـُونَ⁩⁩ (-ūna-ūna-uwna-wna).
• Accusative/Genitive case: End in ⁧⁧ـِينَ⁩⁩ (-īna-īna-iyna-yna).

The noun following them remains singular and accusative.

• ⁧نَجَحَ عِشْرُونَ طَالِبًا.⁩

  najaḥa ʿishrūna ṭāliban.nad͟jaḥa ʿishrūna ṭāliban.naǧaḥa ʿishruwna ṭāliban.najaḥa ʿishrwna ṭaliban.

  Twenty students succeeded.

• ⁧قَرَأْتُ ثَلَاثِينَ صَفْحَةً.⁩

  qaraʾtu thalāthīna ṣafḥatan.qaraʾtu thalāthīna ṣafḥatan.qaraʾtu thalāthiyna ṣafḥatan.qaraʾtu thalathyna ṣafḥatan.

  I read thirty pages.

05

Ordinal Numbers (First, Second, Third)

Ordinal numbers function exactly like regular adjectives. They follow the noun and agree with it in gender, case, and definiteness (the use of ⁧⁧الـ⁩⁩ (al-al-ʾal-al-)).

For masculine nouns, they follow the pattern ⁧⁧فَاعِل⁩⁩ (fāʿilfāʿilfāʿilfaʿil) (e.g., ⁧⁧ثَالِث⁩⁩ (thāliththāliththāliththalith) for third). For feminine nouns, add the ⁧⁧تَاء مَرْبُوطَة⁩⁩ (tāʾ marbūṭahtāʾ marbūṭahtāʾ marbuwṭahtaʾ marbwṭah) (e.g., ⁧⁧ثَالِثَة⁩⁩ (thālithahthālithahthālithahthalithah)). Note that "first" is irregular: ⁧⁧أَوَّل⁩⁩ (awwalawwalʾawwalawal) (masc) and ⁧⁧أُولَى⁩⁩ (ūlāūlāuwlāwla) (fem).

• ⁧هَذَا هُوَ الدَّرْسُ الْأَوَّلُ.⁩

  hādhā huwa ad-darsu al-awwalu.hādhā huwa ad-darsu al-awwalu.hādhā huwa ʾad-darsu ʾal-awwalu.hadha huwa ad-darsu al-awalu.

  This is the first lesson.

• ⁧أَسْكُنُ فِي الطَّابِقِ الرَّابِعِ.⁩

  askunu fī aṭ-ṭābiqi ar-rābiʿi.askunu fī aṭ-ṭābiqi ar-rābiʿi.ʾaskunu fiy ʾaṭ-ṭābiqi ʾar-rābiʿi.askunu fy aṭ-ṭabiqi ar-rabiʿi.

  I live on the fourth floor.

• ⁧هِيَ الْمَرَّةُ الثَّانِيَةُ.⁩

  hiya al-marratu ath-thāniyatu.hiya al-marratu ath-thāniyatu.hiya ʾal-marratu ʾath-thāniyatu.hiya al-maratu ath-thaniyatu.

  It is the second time.