Lesson 55: Cardinal Numbers

A number in Arabic is a noun or an adjective, and like every noun it has gender and case. The surprising feature is polarity: from three to ten the number ending in ة goes with a masculine noun, and the number without ة goes with a feminine noun: ثَلَاثَةُ رِجَالٍ three men but ثَلَاثُ نِسَاءٍ three women. Learn the tables first, then the three rules about the counted noun, and the rest is practice.

One to ten

Masculine forms are used with masculine nouns from 1–2, but with feminine nouns from 3–10 (polarity).
Figure	Number	Masculine	Feminine
١	one	وَاحِدٌwāḥidun	وَاحِدَةٌwāḥidatun
٢	two	اِثْنَانِithnāni	اِثْنَتَانِithnatāni
٣	three	ثَلَاثَةٌthalāthatun	ثَلَاثٌthalāthun
٤	four	أَرْبَعَةٌarbaʿatun	أَرْبَعٌarbaʿun
٥	five	خَمْسَةٌkhamsatun	خَمْسٌkhamsun
٦	six	سِتَّةٌsittatun	سِتٌّsittun
٧	seven	سَبْعَةٌsabʿatun	سَبْعٌsabʿun
٨	eight	ثَمَانِيَةٌthamāniyatun	ثَمَانٍthamānin
٩	nine	تِسْعَةٌtisʿatun	تِسْعٌtisʿun
١٠	ten	عَشَرَةٌʿasharatun	عَشْرٌʿashrun

Rule 1: 1. One and two

وَاحِدٌ and اِثْنَانِ are ordinary adjectives: they follow the noun and agree with it in gender and case. Since the dual already says two, اِثْنَانِ is added only for emphasis or stands alone, as in an answer to كَمْ. The related أَحَدُ (feminine إِحْدَى) means one of and is followed by a definite genitive plural.

لِي كِتَابٌ وَاحِدٌ وَسَاعَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ.
lī kitābun wāḥidun wa-sāʿatun wāḥidatun
I have one book and one watch.
كَمْ نَجْمًا رَأَيْتَ؟ - رَأَيْتُ اثْنَيْنِ.
kam najman raʾayta? - raʾaytu-thnayni
How many stars did you see? I saw two.
After كَمْ the noun is accusative singular (lesson 50); اِثْنَيْنِ stands alone as the object.
فِي الْبَيْتِ وَلَدَانِ اثْنَانِ لَا ثَلَاثَةٌ.
fi-l-bayti waladāni-thnāni lā thalāthatun
In the house there are two boys, not three.
اِثْنَانِ added for emphasis after the dual.
جَاءَ أَحَدُ الْأَوْلَادِ مَعَ إِحْدَى الْبَنَاتِ.
jāʾa aḥadu-l-awlādi maʿa iḥda-l-banāti
One of the boys came with one of the girls.

Rule 2: 2. Three to ten: polarity and the genitive plural

From 3 to 10 the number stands before the noun as the first term of an iḍāfa, so it loses its tanwīn, and the noun follows in the genitive plural. The gender is reversed: look at the singular of the noun; if it is masculine, use the number with ة; if feminine, the number without ة. يَوْمٌ is masculine, so three days is ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ; سَاعَةٌ is feminine, so three hours is ثَلَاثُ سَاعَاتٍ.

فِي الْأُسْبُوعِ سَبْعَةُ أَيَّامٍ.
fi-l-usbūʿi sabʿatu ayyāmin
In the week there are seven days.
يَوْمٌ masculine → سَبْعَةُ.
نِمْتُ ثَمَانِيَ سَاعَاتٍ.
nimtu thamāniya sāʿātin
I slept eight hours.
سَاعَةٌ feminine → ثَمَانِيَ (accusative of ثَمَانٍ).
فِي السَّنَةِ أَرْبَعَةُ فُصُولٍ.
fi-s-sanati arbaʿatu fuṣūlin
In the year there are four seasons.
عِنْدَ جَدِّي خَمْسُ بَقَرَاتٍ وَسِتَّةُ خِرَافٍ.
ʿinda jaddī khamsu baqarātin wa-sittatu khirāfin
My grandfather has five cows and six sheep.
قَرَأْتُ عَشَرَةَ كُتُبٍ فِي عَشْرِ لَيَالٍ.
qaraʾtu ʿasharata kutubin fī ʿashri layālin
I read ten books in ten nights.
The number itself takes the case of its position: accusative عَشَرَةَ as object, genitive عَشْرِ after فِي.

Eleven to nineteen

Both parts end in a fixed fatḥa; only the first part of 12 declines (اِثْنَا / اِثْنَيْ، اِثْنَتَا / اِثْنَتَيْ).
Figure	Number	Masculine	Feminine
١١	eleven	أَحَدَ عَشَرَaḥada ʿashara	إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَiḥdā ʿashrata
١٢	twelve	اِثْنَا عَشَرَithnā ʿashara	اِثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَithnatā ʿashrata
١٣	thirteen	ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَthalāthata ʿashara	ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَthalātha ʿashrata
١٤	fourteen	أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَarbaʿata ʿashara	أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَarbaʿa ʿashrata
١٥	fifteen	خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَkhamsata ʿashara	خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَkhamsa ʿashrata
١٦	sixteen	سِتَّةَ عَشَرَsittata ʿashara	سِتَّ عَشْرَةَsitta ʿashrata
١٧	seventeen	سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَsabʿata ʿashara	سَبْعَ عَشْرَةَsabʿa ʿashrata
١٨	eighteen	ثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَthamāniyata ʿashara	ثَمَانِيَ عَشْرَةَthamāniya ʿashrata
١٩	nineteen	تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَtisʿata ʿashara	تِسْعَ عَشْرَةَtisʿa ʿashrata

Rule 3: 3. Eleven to nineteen: fixed forms and the accusative singular

These numbers are written as two words but behave as one. Both parts end in fatḥa whatever the case (فِي أَحَدَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا), except that the first part of 12 declines like a dual: اِثْنَا عَشَرَ nominative, اِثْنَيْ عَشَرَ genitive and accusative. In 11 and 12 both parts agree with the noun; from 13 to 19 the unit shows polarity while عَشَرَ / عَشْرَةَ agrees with the noun. The counted noun is in the accusative singular with tanwīn.

فِي السَّنَةِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا.
fi-s-sanati-thnā ʿashara shahran
In the year there are twelve months.
رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ نَجْمًا فِي السَّمَاءِ.
raʾaytu aḥada ʿashara najman fi-s-samāʾi
I saw eleven stars in the sky.
عُمْرُ أُخْتِي خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً.
ʿumru ukhtī khamsa ʿashrata sanatan
My sister is fifteen years old.
سَنَةٌ feminine: unit خَمْسَ without ة, ten عَشْرَةَ with ة.
نَزَلَ الْمَطَرُ ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا.
nazala-l-maṭaru thalāthata ʿashara yawman
The rain fell for thirteen days.
سَافَرْنَا فِي اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا.
sāfarnā fi-thnay ʿashara yawman
We travelled in twelve days.
After فِي the first part of 12 takes its oblique form اِثْنَيْ.

Tens, hundreds, thousands

The tens have one form for both genders and decline like sound masculine plurals (عِشْرُونَ / عِشْرِينَ).
Figure	Number	Arabic
٢٠	twenty	عِشْرُونَʿishrūna
٣٠	thirty	ثَلَاثُونَthalāthūna
٤٠	forty	أَرْبَعُونَarbaʿūna
٥٠	fifty	خَمْسُونَkhamsūna
٦٠	sixty	سِتُّونَsittūna
٧٠	seventy	سَبْعُونَsabʿūna
٨٠	eighty	ثَمَانُونَthamānūna
٩٠	ninety	تِسْعُونَtisʿūna
١٠٠	a hundred	مِائَةٌmiʾatun
٢٠٠	two hundred	مِائَتَانِmiʾatāni
٣٠٠	three hundred	ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍthalāthu-miʾatin
٤٠٠	four hundred	أَرْبَعُمِائَةٍarbaʿu-miʾatin
٥٠٠	five hundred	خَمْسُمِائَةٍkhamsu-miʾatin
٦٠٠	six hundred	سِتُّمِائَةٍsittu-miʾatin
٧٠٠	seven hundred	سَبْعُمِائَةٍsabʿu-miʾatin
٨٠٠	eight hundred	ثَمَانِيمِائَةٍthamānī-miʾatin
٩٠٠	nine hundred	تِسْعُمِائَةٍtisʿu-miʾatin
١٠٠٠	a thousand	أَلْفٌalfun
٢٠٠٠	two thousand	أَلْفَانِalfāni
٣٠٠٠	three thousand	ثَلَاثَةُ آلَافٍthalāthatu ālāfin
١٠٠٠٠	ten thousand	عَشَرَةُ آلَافٍʿasharatu ālāfin
١١٠٠٠	eleven thousand	أَحَدَ عَشَرَ أَلْفًاaḥada ʿashara alfan
١٠٠٠٠٠	a hundred thousand	مِائَةُ أَلْفٍmiʾatu alfin
١٠٠٠٠٠٠	a million	مِلْيُونٌmilyūnun
٠	zero	صِفْرٌṣifrun

Rule 4: 4. Twenty to ninety-nine: units before tens

In compound numbers the unit comes first, then وَ, then the ten: خَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ twenty-five, literally five and twenty. The unit keeps its polarity (3–9) or agrees (1–2); the ten is the same for both genders. The counted noun is in the accusative singular, as after 11–19. The ten declines like a sound masculine plural: عِشْرُونَ in the nominative, عِشْرِينَ in the genitive and accusative.

فِي الشَّهْرِ ثَلَاثُونَ يَوْمًا.
fi-sh-shahri thalāthūna yawman
In the month there are thirty days.
فِي الصَّفِّ خَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ تِلْمِيذًا وَإِحْدَى وَعِشْرُونَ تِلْمِيذَةً.
fi-ṣ-ṣaffi khamsatun wa-ʿishrūna tilmīdhan wa-iḥdā wa-ʿishrūna tilmīdhatan
In the class there are twenty-five boy pupils and twenty-one girl pupils.
خَمْسَةٌ with ة before the masculine تِلْمِيذًا; إِحْدَى (feminine 'one') before the feminine تِلْمِيذَةً.
عُمْرُ أَبِي اثْنَتَانِ وَأَرْبَعُونَ سَنَةً.
ʿumru abi-thnatāni wa-arbaʿūna sanatan
My father is forty-two years old.
سَنَةٌ is feminine, so 'two' takes its feminine form اِثْنَتَانِ.
قَرَأْتُ هٰذَا الْكِتَابَ فِي سِتَّةٍ وَخَمْسِينَ يَوْمًا.
qaraʾtu hādha-l-kitāba fī sittatin wa-khamsīna yawman
I read this book in fifty-six days.
Genitive after فِي: سِتَّةٍ وَخَمْسِينَ.
نَزَلَ الثَّلْجُ عَلَى تِسْعٍ وَتِسْعِينَ قَرْيَةً.
nazala-th-thalju ʿalā tisʿin wa-tisʿīna qaryatan
Snow fell on ninety-nine villages.

Rule 5: 5. Hundreds, thousands and longer numbers

After مِائَةٌ and أَلْفٌ (and their duals and multiples) the counted noun is in the genitive singular: مِائَةُ سَنَةٍ a hundred years, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ a thousand nights. From 300 to 900 the hundred is itself counted and written as one word: ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ; from 3000 to 10000 أَلْفٌ shows its plural آلَافٌ, and from 11000 it is accusative singular like any counted noun: عِشْرُونَ أَلْفًا. In a long number the largest part comes first, but the unit still precedes the ten, and the counted noun obeys the last number spoken.

عَاشَ نُوحٌ فِي قَوْمِهِ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًا.
ʿāsha nūḥun fī qawmihi alfa sanatin illā khamsīna ʿāman
Noah lived among his people a thousand years less fifty.
Genitive singular after أَلْفَ; accusative singular after خَمْسِينَ.
فِي السَّنَةِ ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ وَخَمْسَةٌ وَسِتُّونَ يَوْمًا.
fi-s-sanati thalāthu-miʾatin wa-khamsatun wa-sittūna yawman
In the year there are three hundred and sixty-five days.
The noun follows the last number: accusative singular after sixty.
فِي هٰذِهِ الْمَدِينَةِ مِائَةُ أَلْفِ رَجُلٍ.
fī hādhihi-l-madīnati miʾatu alfi rajulin
In this city there are a hundred thousand men.
فِي الْمَكْتَبَةِ مِائَةٌ وَخَمْسَةُ كُتُبٍ، وَفِي مَكْتَبَةِ الْمَدْرَسَةِ مِائَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ كِتَابًا.
fi-l-maktabati miʾatun wa-khamsatu kutubin, wa-fī maktabati-l-madrasati miʾatun wa-ʿishrūna kitāban
In the library there are a hundred and five books, and in the school library a hundred and twenty books.
105: genitive plural after five. 120: accusative singular after twenty.
وُلِدَ جَدِّي سَنَةَ أَلْفٍ وَتِسْعِمِائَةٍ وَخَمْسٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ.
wulida jaddī sanata alfin wa-tisʿi-miʾatin wa-khamsin wa-arbaʿīna
My grandfather was born in the year 1945.
Thousands, hundreds, then unit and ten; all genitive after سَنَةَ. The unit خَمْسٍ is feminine-form because سَنَةٌ is feminine.

The counted noun at a glance

Four rules cover every number.
Number	Counted noun	Example	Meaning
1, 2	follows the number-adjective; agrees in gender	كِتَابٌ وَاحِدٌ، سَاعَتَانِ اثْنَتَانِ	one book, two hours
3–10	genitive plural; number has opposite gender	ثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ، ثَلَاثُ سَاعَاتٍ	three books, three hours
11–99	accusative singular with tanwīn	أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كِتَابًا، عِشْرُونَ سَاعَةً	eleven books, twenty hours
100, 1000 and multiples	genitive singular	مِائَةُ كِتَابٍ، أَلْفُ سَاعَةٍ	a hundred books, a thousand hours

The Arabic-Indic figures

Figures are written from left to right, exactly as in English: ١٩٤٥ is 1945.
Figure	Value	Figure	Value
٠	0	٥	5
١	1	٦	6
٢	2	٧	7
٣	3	٨	8
٤	4	٩	9

Cardinal Numbers

Step 1 of 5: Learn

One to ten

Rule 1: 1. One and two

Rule 2: 2. Three to ten: polarity and the genitive plural

Eleven to nineteen

Rule 3: 3. Eleven to nineteen: fixed forms and the accusative singular

Tens, hundreds, thousands

Rule 4: 4. Twenty to ninety-nine: units before tens

Rule 5: 5. Hundreds, thousands and longer numbers

The counted noun at a glance

The Arabic-Indic figures

Vocabulary

Step 2 of 5: Read

The year and its seasons

Notes

Comprehension

In the Quran

Step 3 of 5: Practice

Exercises

Step 4 of 5: Quiz

Translate from Arabic to English

Translate from English to Arabic

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

How many questions would you like?

Step 5 of 5: Finish