Verbs: Dual Form

01

The Dual in the Past Tense

To form the dual in the past tense, you add specific suffixes to the root of the verb.

Third Person (They two)

For masculine subjects (two males or a mixed pair), add the long vowel ⁧⁧ـَا⁩⁩ (-ā-ā-ā-a) to the end of the standard past tense verb.

• ⁧هُمَا دَرَسَا فِي الْجَامِعَةِ.⁩

  hụmā dạrạsā fī ᵃljāmịʕạẗị.humā darasā fī ᵃld͟jāmiʿati.humā darasā fiy ᵃlǧāmiʿaẗi.hma drsa fy ᵃljamʕẗ.

  They (two males) studied at the university.

For feminine subjects (two females), add ⁧⁧ـَتَا⁩⁩ (-ạtā-atā-atā-ta).

• ⁧الْبِنْتَانِ لَعِبَتَا فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ.⁩

  albịntānị lạʕịbạtā fī ᵃlḥạdīqạẗị.albintāni laʿibatā fī ᵃlḥadīqati.ʾalbintāni laʿibatā fiy ᵃlḥadiyqaẗi.albntan lʕbta fy ᵃlḥdyqẗ.

  The two girls played in the garden.

Second Person (You two)

When addressing two people directly, the gender does not matter. The suffix is always ⁧⁧ـْتُمَا⁩⁩ (-tụmā-tumā-tumā-tma).

• ⁧أَنْتُمَا شَرِبْتُمَا الْمَاءَ.⁩

  ʼạntụmā šạrịbtụmā ᵃlmāʼạ.ʾantumā s͟haribtumā ᵃlmāʾa.ˈantumā šaribtumā ᵃlmāˈa.ˈantma šrbtma ᵃlmaˈa.

  You two drank the water.

02

The Dual in the Present Tense

In the present tense, the dual is characterized by the ending ⁧⁧ـَانِ⁩⁩ (-ānị-āni-āni-an).

Third Person (They two)

For masculine pairs, the verb starts with ⁧⁧يـ⁩⁩ (y-) and ends with ⁧⁧ـَانِ⁩⁩ (-ānị-āni-āni-an).

• ⁧هُمَا يَذْهَبَانِ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ.⁩

  hụmā yạḏhạbānị ʼịlā ᵃlmạdrạsạẗị.humā yad͟hhabāni ʾilā ᵃlmadrasati.humā yaḏhabāni ˌilā ᵃlmadrasaẗi.hma yḏhban ˌila ᵃlmdrsẗ.

  They (two males) go to school.

For feminine pairs, the verb starts with ⁧⁧تـ⁩⁩ (t-) and ends with ⁧⁧ـَانِ⁩⁩ (-ānị-āni-āni-an).

• ⁧هُمَا تَكْتُبَانِ رِسَالَةً.⁩

  hụmā tạktụbānị rịsālạẗạṇ.humā taktubāni risālatan.humā taktubāni risālaẗá.hma tktban rsalẗ.

  They (two females) are writing a letter.

Second Person (You two)

Just like in the past tense, the second person form is gender-neutral. It looks exactly the same as the third-person feminine form: it starts with ⁧⁧تـ⁩⁩ (t-) and ends with ⁧⁧ـَانِ⁩⁩ (-ānị-āni-āni-an). Context usually clarifies whether you mean "they (female)" or "you two".

• ⁧أَنْتُمَا تَعْمَلَانِ كَثِيرًا.⁩

  ʼạntụmā tạʕmạlānị kạṯīrạṇ.ʾantumā taʿmalāni kat͟hīran.ˈantumā taʿmalāni kaṯiyrá.ˈantma tʕmlan kṯyra.

  You two work a lot.

03

Important: Verb-Subject Agreement

There is a crucial rule regarding word order. The dual verb forms described above are used primarily when the sentence starts with the noun/pronoun (Subject-Verb-Object order) or when the subject is implied.

However, if the sentence begins with the verb (Verb-Subject-Object order), the verb remains singular, even if the subject is dual.

Subject First (Use Dual Verb)

• ⁧الْمُهَنْدِسَانِ وَصَلَا.⁩

  almụhạndịsānị wạṣạlā.almuhandisāni waṣalā.ʾalmuhandisāni waṣalā.almhndsan wṣla.

  The two engineers arrived.

Verb First (Use Singular Verb)

• ⁧وَصَلَ الْمُهَنْدِسَانِ.⁩

  wạṣạlạ ᵃlmụhạndịsānị.waṣala ᵃlmuhandisāni.waṣala ᵃlmuhandisāni.wṣl ᵃlmhndsan.

  The two engineers arrived. (Literally: Arrived the two engineers).

04

No First Person Dual

Arabic does not have a specific dual form for "we". If you want to say "we two," you simply use the standard plural "we" form.

• ⁧نَحْنُ نَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.⁩

  nạḥnụ nạtạkạllạmụ ᵃlʕạrạbịyyạẗạ.naḥnu natakallamu ᵃlʿarabiyyata.naḥnu natakallamu ᵃlʿarabiyyaẗa.nḥn ntklm ᵃlʕrbyẗ.

  We (two or more) speak Arabic.