Pronouns: Dual

01

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are used when the two people are the ones performing the action or are the topic of the sentence. A significant advantage for learners is that dual pronouns are gender-neutral. You use the same word regardless of whether you are talking about two men, two women, or a mixed pair.

• ⁧⁧أَنْتُمَا⁩⁩ (ʼạntụmāʾantumāˈantumāˈantma): You two (2nd person dual)
• ⁧⁧هُمَا⁩⁩ (hụmāhumāhumāhma): They two (3rd person dual)

• ⁧أَنْتُمَا طَالِبَانِ جَيِّدَانِ.⁩

  ʼạntụmā ṭālịbānị jạyyịdānị.ʾantumā ṭālibāni d͟jayyidāni.ˈantumā ṭālibāni ǧayyidāni.ˈantma ṭalban jydan.

  You two are good students.

• ⁧هُمَا فِي الْمَكْتَبِ.⁩

  hụmā fī ᵃlmạktạbị.humā fī ᵃlmaktabi.humā fiy ᵃlmaktabi.hma fy ᵃlmktb.

  They two are in the office.

• ⁧هَلْ أَنْتُمَا مِنْ مِصْرَ؟⁩

  hạl ʼạntụmā mịn mịṣrạ?hal ʾantumā min miṣra?hal ˈantumā min miṣra?hl ˈantma mn mṣr?

  Are you two from Egypt?

02

Possessive Suffixes

To indicate ownership involving two people (e.g., "the house of you two"), you attach a suffix to the end of the noun. These suffixes mirror the subject pronouns closely.

• ⁧⁧ـكُمَا⁩⁩ (-kụmā-kumā-kumā-kma): Your (dual)
• ⁧⁧ـهُمَا⁩⁩ (-hụmā-humā-humā-hma): Their (dual)

• ⁧أَيْنَ كِتَابُكُمَا؟⁩

  ʼạynạ kịtābụkụmā?ʾayna kitābukumā?ˈayna kitābukumā?ˈayn ktabkma?

  Where is your (two) book?

• ⁧سَيَّارَتُهُمَا جَدِيدَةٌ.⁩

  sạyyārạtụhụmā jạdīdạẗụṇ.sayyāratuhumā d͟jadīdatun.sayyāratuhumā ǧadiydaẗú.syarthma jdydẗ.

  Their (two) car is new.

• ⁧هَذَا عَمَلُهُمَا.⁩

  hặḏā ʕạmạlụhụmā.hād͟hā ʿamaluhumā.hāḏā ʿamaluhumā.hḏa ʕmlhma.

  This is their (two) work.

03

Object Pronouns and Prepositions

The same suffixes used for possession ⁧⁧ـكُمَا⁩⁩ (-kụmā-kumā-kumā-kma) and ⁧⁧ـهُمَا⁩⁩ (-hụmā-humā-humā-hma) are used when the dual pronoun is the direct object of a verb or follows a preposition.

• With Verbs: Attached to the verb to show who is receiving the action.
• With Prepositions: Attached to words like "with", "to", or "from".

• ⁧أَنَا أُحِبُّكُمَا.⁩

  ʼạnā ʼụḥịbbụkụmā.ʾanā ʾuḥibbukumā.ˈanā ˈuḥibbukumā.ˈana ˈaḥbkma.

  I love you two.

• ⁧هَلْ سَأَلْتَهُمَا؟⁩

  hạl sạʼạltạhụmā?hal saʾaltahumā?hal saˈaltahumā?hl sˈalthma?

  Did you ask them two?

• ⁧سَأَذْهَبُ مَعَهُمَا.⁩

  sạʼạḏhạbụ mạʕạhụmā.saʾad͟hhabu maʿahumā.saˈaḏhabu maʿahumā.sˈaḏhb mʕhma.

  I will go with them two.

04

Agreement in Sentences

When using dual pronouns, the rest of the sentence must often change to match. This concept is called agreement. If the subject is dual ⁧⁧هُمَا⁩⁩ (hụmāhumāhumāhma) or ⁧⁧أَنْتُمَا⁩⁩ (ʼạntụmāʾantumāˈantumāˈantma), the associated nouns, adjectives, and verbs usually take a dual ending as well (often ⁧⁧ـَانِ⁩⁩ (-ānị-āni-āni-an)).

• ⁧هُمَا يَأْكُلَانِ.⁩

  hụmā yạʼkụlānị.humā yaʾkulāni.humā yaˈkulāni.hma yʼklan.

  They two are eating.

• ⁧أَنْتُمَا مُهَنْدِسَانِ.⁩

  ʼạntụmā mụhạndịsānị.ʾantumā muhandisāni.ˈantumā muhandisāni.ˈantma mhndsan.

  You two are engineers.