Arabic: An Essential Grammar

Note a: ِص ْف ٌر s
̇

ifrun ‘zero’ comes from the verb َص َف َر , which means ‘to be

empty’.

Note b: The combined accusative-genitive forms of ِإ ْث َنا ِن

it

̄

na ̄ni (m.) and

ِإ ْث َن َتا ِن^

it

̄

nata ̄ni (f.) ‘two’ are: ِإ ْث َن ْي ِن

it

̄

nayni (m.) and ِإ ْث َن َت ْي ِن

it

̄

natayni (f.),

respectively.

Note c: The number َث َما ٍن ‘eight’ is declined like the participle َقا ٍض (see

chapter 33 for verbs with a weak final radical).

Note d: The middle consonant ش /sˇ/ in َع ْش ٌ ر / َع َش َر ٌة ‘ten’ takes fath
̇

ah in the

masculine: َع َش َر ٌة , but suku ̄n in the feminine: َع ْش ٌر.

34.3 The Arabic cardinal numbers differ from English cardinal

numbers in that they are nouns and not adjectives (except 2, which has

both noun and adjective forms). Therefore the noun following the

number is not in the nominative, but takes different case endings

according to the number.

The numbers 3–10 are followed by a noun in the indefinite genitive

plural.

Remember: The gender of the numbers is decided by the gender of the

noun in the singular and not in the plural.

34.4 The first two cardinal numbers (1, 2) are used as appositive

adjectives to emphasize the amount:

(^9) ِت ْس َع ٌة٩ tis

atun ِت ْس ٌع tis

un
(^10) َع َش َر ٌة ١٠

asˇaratun َع ْش ٌر

asˇrun
Masculine Singular Feminine Singular
َخ ْم َس ُة ِر َجا ٍل (َر ُج ٌل) ِلـ َخ ْم ِس َب َنا ٍت (ِب ْن ٌت)
h
̆
amsatu rig ̆a ̄lin (rag ̆ulun) li-h
̆
amsi bana ̄tin (bintun)
five men (man) for five girls (girl)
ل ِمي َنَِّم ْن َس ْب َع ِة ُم َع (ل ٌمَُّم َع) ل َما ٍتََّس ْب ُع ُم َع (ل َم ٌةَُّم َع)
min sab

ati mu

allimı

• na (mu



allimun) sab



u mu



allima ̄tin (mu



allimatun)

from seven teachers (teacher) seven teachers (teacher)

يا ٍمََّث َلا َث ُة َأ (َي ْو ٌم) َث َلا ُث َل َيا ٍل (َل ْيَل ٌة)

t

̄

ala ̄t

̄

atu

ayya ̄min (yawmun) t

̄

ala ̄t

̄

u laya ̄lin (laylatun)

three days (day) three nights (night)

257

Cardinal

numbers