Arabic: An Essential Grammar

34.6 ِب ْض ُع bid

̇



u, whose feminine is ِب ْض َع ُة bid

̇



atu, means ‘(a) few,

some, several’. It follows the rules for the numbers 3–10, e.g.

34.7 The compound numbers 11–19 are followed by a noun in the

indefinite accusative singular. Except for the number 12, they are

indeclinable. Both parts of the compound number are vocalized with

fath
̇

ah at the end. The masculine form of the number 10 is used

with masculine nouns and the feminine form of the number 10 is

used with feminine nouns.

Note: The accusative-genitive forms of the number 12 are: ِإ ْث َن ْي َع َش َر

it

̄

nay

asˇara (masc.) and ِإ ْث َن َت ْي َع ْش َر َة

it

̄

natay



asˇrata (fem.).

َما َشا َه ْد ُت َأ َح ًداِفي ْل َب ْي ِت َلا َأ َح َد

ma ̄ sˇa ̄hadtu

ah

̇

adan. la ̄

ah

̇

ada fı

• l-bayti.

I didn’t see anyone. Nobody is at home.

Masc:يا ٍمَِّب ْض َع ُة َأ bid

̇



atu

ayya ̄min (َي ْو ٌم yawmun, masc. sing.)

several days

Fem:ِب ْض ُع َل َيا ٍل bid

̇



u laya ̄lin (َل ْيَل ٌة laylatun, fem. sing.)

several nights

Used with a masculine noun Used with a feminine noun

(^11) َأ َح َد َع َش َر ١١


ah
̇
ada

asˇara ِإ ْح َ دى َع ْش َر َة


ih
̇
da ̄

asˇrata bintan
(^12) إ ْث َ نا َع َش َر ١٢


it
̄
na ̄

asˇara ِإ ْث َن َ تا َع ْش َر َة


it
̄
nata ̄

asˇrata
(^13) َث َلا َث َة َع َش َر ١٣ t
̄
ala ̄t
̄
ata

asˇara َث َلا َث َع ْش َر َة t
̄
ala ̄t
̄
a

asˇrata
(^14) َأ ْر َب َع َة َع َش َر ١٤


arba

ata

asˇara َأ ْر َب َع َع ْش َر َة


arba

a

asˇrata
(^15) َخ ْم َس َة َع َش َر ١٥ h
̆
amsata

asˇara َخ ْم َس َع ْش َر َة h
̆
amsa

asˇrata
(^16) ت َة َع َش َر ١٦َِّس sittata

asˇara ت َع ْش َر َةَّ ِس sitta

asˇrata
(^17) َس ْب َع َة َع َش َر ١٧ sab

ata

asˇara َس ْب َع َع ْش َر َة sab

a

asˇrata
(^18) َث َما ِن َي َة َع َش َر ١٨ t
̄
ama ̄niyata

asˇara َث َما ِن َي َع ْش َر َة t
̄
ama ̄niya

asˇrata
(^19) ِت ْس َع َة َع َش َر ١٩ tis

ata

asˇara ِت ْس َع َع ْش َر َة tis

a

asˇrata bintan
259
Cardinal
numbers