Arabic: An Essential Grammar

34.14 The numbers thousand and million are used with both mascu-

line and feminine and followed by the noun in the indefinite genitive

singular, e.g.

34.15 With compound numbers over 100, the following noun is

declined according to the last number or last two numbers. For

example, take the number 125: the last two numbers are 25, so the

following noun will be according to the rule of 25, i.e. it is in the

indefinite accusative singular, e.g.

ِم َئ ٌة َو َخ ْم َس ٌة َو ِع ْش ُرو َن َر ُج ًلا

mi

atun wa-h

̆

amsatun wa-



isˇru ̄na rag ̆ulan, 1 25 men

ِم َئ ٌة َو َث َلا ٌث َو َث َلا ُثو َن ِب ْن ًتا

mi

atun wa-t

̄

ala ̄t

̄

un wa-t

̄

ala ̄t

̄

u ̄na bintan, 1 33 girls

If the number is 105, the final number is 5 and it will be according to the

rule of 5, i.e. the following noun is in the indefinite genitive plural, e.g.

34.16 If the number is preceded by the definite article َأْلـ /

al.../, it

can be placed after the definite noun, which follows the general rules of

agreement for numbers, e.g.

Nom. َأْل ُف َوَل ٍ د/ ِب ْن ٍت

alfu waladin / bintin, 1,000 boys / girls

Nom. َأْل َفا َوَل ٍ د/ ِب ْن ٍت

alfa ̄ waladin / bintin, 2,000 boys / girls

Nom. َِمْل ُيو ُن َوَل ٍ د/ ِب ْن ٍت milyu ̄nu waladin / bintin, 1,000,000 boys /

girls

Acc. and gen. َأْل َف ْي َوَل ٍ د/ ِب ْن ٍت

alfay waladin / bintin, 2,000 boys / girls

ِم َئ ٌة َو َخ ْم َس ُة ِر َجا ٍل ِم َئ ٌة َو ِت ْس ُع َب َنات

mi

atun wa-h

̆

amsatu rig ̆a ̄lin mi

atun wa-tis



u bana ̄tin

105 girls 109 men

Masculine Feminine

ّر َجا ُل اْلـ َخ ْم َس ُةََأل َأْل َب َنا ُت ْلـ َخ ْم ُس




ar-rig ̆a ̄lu l-h

̆

amsatu

al-bana ̄tu l-h

̆

amsu

the five men the five girls

263

Cardinal

numbers