Arabic: An Essential Grammar

Examples:

35.2 The ordinal numbers و ُلََّأْ َلأ

al-

awwalu (masc.) and لأوَلـىَُأْ




al-

u ̄la ̄ (fem.) ‘first’ have the following plurals:

35.3 Ordinal numbers can also be used in the

id

̇

a ̄fah construction

with a following genitive noun or with a suffixed personal pronoun,

e.g.

Masculine Feminine

و ُلََّأْل َول ُد ْ َلأ لأوَلـىَُأْل ِب ْن ُت ْ




al-waladu l-

awwalu, the first

boy

al-bintu l-

u ̄la ̄, the first girl

و ُلَُّه َو ْ َلأ لأوَلـىُِْه َي

huwa l-

awwalu. He is the first. hiya l-

u ̄la ̄. She is the first.

ُه َو َخا ِمـ ُس ُه ْم نَّ ِه َي َخا ِمـ َس ُت ُه

huwa h

̆

a ̄misu-hum. hiya h

̆

a ̄misatu-hunna.

He is the fifth of them. She is the fifth of them.

ثا ِنيَّد ْر ُس لََّأل ثا ِنـ َي ُةَّس َن ُة لَّ َأل




ad-darsu t

̄

-t

̄

a ̄nı

• , the second

lesson

as-sanatu t

̄

-t

̄

a ̄niyatu, the second year

را ِب ُعََّأْل ِك َتا ُب لـ سا َع ُة ْلـ َخا ِم َسـ ُةَّ َأل




al-kita ̄bu r-ra ̄bi



u, the fourth

book

as-sa ̄



atu l-h

̆

a ̄misatu, five o’clock

(lit. the fifth hour)

singular broken plural sound plural

Masc. و ُلَّلأ َو ُل َأْ َلأَُأْ وُلو َن َأْ َلأ َوا ِئ ُلََّأْ َلأ




al-

awwalu

al-

uwalu OR

al-

awa ̄

ilu

al-




awwalu ̄na

Fem. لأوَلىُلأ َو ُل َأَُْأْ لأو َلا ُت َأْ َلأ َوا ِئ ُلَُأْ




al-

u ̄la ̄

al-

uwalu OR

al-

awa ̄

ilu

al-

u ̄la ̄tu

270

Ordinal

numbers,

fractions,

expres-

sions of

time,

calendars