Numbers in Arabic

01

Numbers 1 and 2

The numbers ⁧⁧وَاحِدٌ⁩⁩ (wāḥịdụṇwāḥidunwāḥidúwaḥd) - one and ⁧⁧اِثْنَانِ⁩⁩ (iṯnānịit͟hnāniiṯnāniiṯnan) - 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 (-ānị-āni-āni-an) or ⁧⁧ـَيْنِ⁩⁩ (-ạynị-ayni-ayni-yn)) without explicitly stating the number. However, the number ⁧⁧اِثْنَانِ⁩⁩ (iṯnānịit͟hnāniiṯnāniiṯnan) can be added for emphasis.

• ⁧عِنْدِي أَخٌ وَاحِدٌ.⁩

  ʕịndī ʼạḵụṇ wāḥịdụṇ.ʿindī ʾak͟hun wāḥidun.ʿindiy ˈaẖú wāḥidú.ʕndy ˈaḵ waḥd.

  I have one brother.

• ⁧زُرْتُ مَدِينَةً وَاحِدَةً.⁩

  zụrtụ mạdīnạẗạṇ wāḥịdạẗạṇ.zurtu madīnatan wāḥidatan.zurtu madiynaẗá wāḥidaẗá.zrt mdynẗ waḥdẗ.

  I visited one city.

• ⁧هُنَاكَ طَالِبَتَانِ اثْنَتَانِ.⁩

  hụnākạ ṭālịbạtānị iṯnạtānị.hunāka ṭālibatāni it͟hnatāni.hunāka ṭālibatāni iṯnatāni.hnak ṭalbtan iṯntan.

  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 (-ịṇ-in-í-) or ⁧ـِ⁩ (-ị-i-i-)).

• ⁧لَدَيَّ ثَلَاثَةُ أَقْلَامٍ.⁩

  lạdạyyạ ṯạlāṯạẗụ ʼạqlāmịṇ.ladayya t͟halāt͟hatu ʾaqlāmin.ladayya ṯalāṯaẗu ˈaqlāmí.ldy ṯlaṯẗ ˈaqlam.

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

• ⁧اشْتَرَيْتُ خَمْسَ سَيَّارَاتٍ.⁩

  ištạrạytụ ḵạmsạ sạyyārātịṇ.is͟htaraytu k͟hamsa sayyārātin.ištaraytu ẖamsa sayyārātí.ištryt ḵms syarat.

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

• ⁧فِي الْغُرْفَةِ أَرْبَعَةُ رِجَالٍ.⁩

  fī ᵃlḡụrfạẗị ʼạrbạʕạẗụ rịjālịṇ.fī ᵃlg͟hurfati ʾarbaʿatu rid͟jālin.fiy ᵃlġurfaẗi ˈarbaʿaẗu riǧālí.fy ᵃlḡrfẗ ˈarbʕẗ rjal.

  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 (-ạṇ-an-á-a) or ⁧ـَ⁩ (-ạ-a-a-)).

Numbers 11 and 12

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

• ⁧رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا.⁩

  rạʼạytụ ʼạḥạdạ ʕạšạrạ kạwkạbạṇ.raʾaytu ʾaḥada ʿas͟hara kawkaban.raˈaytu ˈaḥada ʿašara kawkabá.rˈayt ˈaḥd ʕšr kwkba.

  I saw eleven planets. (Masculine)

• ⁧جَاءَتْ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ طَالِبَةً.⁩

  jāʼạt iṯnạtā ʕạšrạẗạ ṭālịbạẗạṇ.d͟jāʾat it͟hnatā ʿas͟hrata ṭālibatan.ǧāˈat iṯnatā ʿašraẗa ṭālibaẗá.jaˈat iṯnta ʕšrẗ ṭalbẗ.

  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.⁩

  ʕịndī ḵạmsạẗạ ʕạšạrạ kịtābạṇ.ʿindī k͟hamsata ʿas͟hara kitāban.ʿindiy ẖamsaẗa ʿašara kitābá.ʕndy ḵmsẗ ʕšr ktaba.

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

• ⁧فِي السَّنَةِ تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا.⁩

  fī ᵃssạnạẗị tịsʕạẗạ ʕạšạrạ yạwmạṇ.fī ᵃssanati tisʿata ʿas͟hara yawman.fiy ᵃssanaẗi tisʿaẗa ʿašara yawmá.fy ᵃsnẗ tsʕẗ ʕšr ywma.

  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 (-ūnạ-ūna-uwna-wn).
• Accusative/Genitive case: End in ⁧⁧ـِينَ⁩⁩ (-īnạ-īna-iyna-yn).

The noun following them remains singular and accusative.

• ⁧نَجَحَ عِشْرُونَ طَالِبًا.⁩

  nạjạḥạ ʕịšrūnạ ṭālịbạṇ.nad͟jaḥa ʿis͟hrūna ṭāliban.naǧaḥa ʿišruwna ṭālibá.njḥ ʕšrwn ṭalba.

  Twenty students succeeded.

• ⁧قَرَأْتُ ثَلَاثِينَ صَفْحَةً.⁩

  qạrạʼtụ ṯạlāṯīnạ ṣạfḥạẗạṇ.qaraʾtu t͟halāt͟hīna ṣafḥatan.qaraˈtu ṯalāṯiyna ṣafḥaẗá.qrʼt ṯlaṯyn ṣfḥẗ.

  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 (fāʕịlfāʿilfāʿilfaʕl) (e.g., ⁧⁧ثَالِث⁩⁩ (ṯālịṯt͟hālit͟hṯāliṯṯalṯ) for third). For feminine nouns, add the ⁧⁧تَاء مَرْبُوطَة⁩⁩ (tāʼ mạrbūṭạẗtāʾ marbūṭahtāˈ marbuwṭaẗtaʼ mrbwṭẗ) (e.g., ⁧⁧ثَالِثَة⁩⁩ (ṯālịṯạẗt͟hālit͟hahṯāliṯaẗṯalṯẗ)). Note that "first" is irregular: ⁧⁧أَوَّل⁩⁩ (ʼạwwạlʾawwalˈawwalˈawl) (masc) and ⁧⁧أُولَى⁩⁩ (ʼūlāʾūlāˈuwlāʼwla) (fem).

• ⁧هَذَا هُوَ الدَّرْسُ الْأَوَّلُ.⁩

  hặḏā hụwạ ᵃddạrsụ ᵃlʼạwwạlụ.hād͟hā huwa ᵃddarsu ᵃlʾawwalu.hāḏā huwa ᵃddarsu ᵃlˈawwalu.hḏa hw ᵃdrs ᵃlˈawl.

  This is the first lesson.

• ⁧أَسْكُنُ فِي الطَّابِقِ الرَّابِعِ.⁩

  ʼạskụnụ fī ᵃṭṭābịqị ᵃrrābịʕị.ʾaskunu fī ᵃṭṭābiqi ᵃrrābiʿi.ˈaskunu fiy ᵃṭṭābiqi ᵃrrābiʿi.ˈaskn fy ᵃṭabq ᵃrabʕ.

  I live on the fourth floor.

• ⁧هِيَ الْمَرَّةُ الثَّانِيَةُ.⁩

  hịyạ ᵃlmạrrạẗụ ᵃṯṯānịyạẗụ.hiya ᵃlmarratu ᵃt͟ht͟hāniyatu.hiya ᵃlmarraẗu ᵃṯṯāniyaẗu.hy ᵃlmrẗ ᵃṯanyẗ.

  It is the second time.