- There are numbers in the Arabic language that are called (ألفاظ العقود) "alfaađh al-ξuquud" (20, 30, 40 … etc.):
Numbers in letters (accusative or genitive case) |
Numbers in letters (nominative case) |
Numbers in digits |
|
ξishriina |
ξishruun |
20 |
|
thalathiin |
thalathuun |
30 |
|
arbaξiin |
arbaξuun |
40 |
|
khamsiin |
khamsuun |
50 |
|
sittiin |
sittuun |
60 |
|
sabξiin |
sabξuun |
70 |
|
thmāniin |
ثمانون thmānuun |
80 |
|
tisξiin |
tisξuun |
90 |
- Alfaađh al-ξuquud are declinable, to which the rules of (جمع المذكر السالم) "ĵamξu mudhakkar sālim" (regular masculine plural) are applied. They always end with (ـون) "-uun" or (ـين) "-iin" according to their position in the sentence. Here are some examples:
English: |
Transliteration: |
Arabic: |
Twenty Muslims came |
Ĵā’a ξishruun musliman |
|
The Muslims came |
Ĵā’a al-muslimuun |
|
The Muslim came |
Ĵā’a al-muslimu |
|
I saw twenty Muslims |
Ra'aytu ξishriin musliman |
|
I saw the Muslims |
Ra'aytu al-muslimiin |
|
I saw the Muslim |
Ra'aytu al-muslima |
|
I live with twenty Muslims |
Askunu maξa ξishriin musliman |
|
I live with the Muslims |
Askunu maξa al-muslimiin |
|
I live with the Muslim |
Askunu maξa al-muslimi |
- Sometimes a composite number consists of two numbers connected with (wa “and”), such as:
These are twenty-one teachers |
هَؤُلاءِ وَاحِدٌ وَعِشرون أستاذًا Hā’ulā’i wāћidun wa ξishruun ustādhan |
These are twenty-one lady teachers |
هَؤُلاءِ إحْدَى وَعِشْرونَ أستاذةً Hā’ulā’i iћda wa ξishruun ustādhatan |
I read twenty-five books |
قَرَأْتُ خَمْسَةً وَعِشْرين كِتابًا Qara’tu khamsatan wa ξishruun kitāban |
My friend read twenty-seven stories |
دَرَسَ صَدِيقي سَبْعًا وَعِشْرين قِصَّةً Darasa ŝadiiqi sabξan wa ξishriin qissatan |
The price of my clothes is fifty-five pounds. |
ثَوْبِي بِخَمْسَةٍ وَخَمسِينَ جُنَيْهًا Thawbi bikhamsatin wa khamsiin ĵunaihan |
I wrote the lesson in twenty-two papers. |
كَتَبْتُ الدَّرْسَ في اثْنَتَينِ وَعِشرين وَرَقَةً Katabtu ad-darsa fi ithnataini wa ξishriin waraqatan |
I have twenty-two garments. |
عِنْدِي اِثْنانِ وعِشرونَ جِلْبابًا ξIndi ithnān wa ξishriina ĵilbāban |
- We notice here that the first number before (وَ) "wa" (and) is similar to the numbers 1 and 2, as we studied in the previous part. This means that numbers (واحد) "wāћid" (one) and (اثنان) "ithnān" (two) should be masculine or feminine according to the numbered noun. For example, the numbers in the following sentences are masculine because the numbered noun in each is masculine:
هَؤُلاءِ وَاحِدٌ وَعِشرون أستاذًا
Hā’ulā’i wāћidun wa ξishruuna ustadhan
These are twenty-one teachers.
عِنْدِي اثْنَانِ وَعِشْرُونَ جِلْبَابًا
ξindi ithnāni wa ξishruun ĵilbāban
I have twenty-two garments.
- The numbers in the following sentences are feminine because the numbered noun in each is feminine:
هَؤُلاءِ إحْدَى وَعِشرون أستاذةً
Hā’ulā’i iћda wa ξishruuna ustadhatan
These are twenty-one lady teachers.
كَتَبْتُ الدَّرْسَ في اثْنَتَينِ وَعِشرين وَرَقَة
Katabtu ad-darsa fi ithnatayni wa ξishriin waraqatan
I wrote the lesson in twenty-two papers.
- As a revision of lessons 19 and 20 - we have already learnt that the numbers from 3 to 9 should be opposite to the numbered noun, i.e. the first part should be masculine if the numbered noun is feminine. For example:
دَرَسَ صَدِيقي سَبْعًا وَعِشْرين قِصَّة
Darasa ŝadiiqi sabξan wa ξishriin qiŝŝatan
My friend studied twenty-seven stories.
- Alternatively, the first part should be feminine if the numbered noun is masculine. For example:
ثَوْبِي بِخَمْسَةٍ وخَمسِينَ جُنَيْهًا
Thawbi bikhamsatin wa khamsiin ĵunayhan
(I bought) my garment (for) fifty-five pounds.
- Note: the numbered noun after the decade numbers is always singular and in the accusative case (mansūb منصوب) (ending, originally, with the short fatћah, a). For example:
Male professor/teacher |
Ustādhan |
Female professor/teacher |
Ustādhatan |
Book |
Kitāban |
Story |
Qiŝŝatan |
Pound |
Ĵunayhan |
Paper |
Waraqatan |
Long garment (for men and women) |
Ĵilbāban |