‫يييي ييييي ييي‬

Rules of Numbers in Arabic

• Numbers 1 and 2 ‫واحدة‬ ‫واحد‬

Agree with noun in gender, case, nom ‫اثنتان‬ ‫اثنان‬
and definiteness. Both of these accus/gen ‫اثنتين‬ ‫اثنين‬
numbers are normally used as
adjectives therefore they will come
after the noun.
e.g. ‫رجل واحد‬
‫بنت واحدة‬
‫ولدان اثنان‬
‫ممرضتان اثنتان‬

• Numbers from 3 to 10
1. Inverted agreement of ‫رأيت ثلثة يييي‬
gender. This means when the
noun is masculine the number ‫ذهبت خمس يييييي‬
would be feminine and when
the noun is feminine the
number would be masculine.
The gender of the noun would
be decided by looking at the
singular of numbered noun
2. The noun will always be in the ‫ثلثة رجال‬
plural form Not
‫ثلثة رجل‬
3. This clause will be an idafa
construction therefore the
numbers will not have
tanween. The nouns will be in
the genitive case.

• Numbers 11 and 12
1. Agree with noun in gender Feminine masculine
and case. ‫إحدى عشرة‬ ‫أحد عشر‬
‫إثنتا عشرة‬ ‫إثنا عشر‬
‫إثنتي عشرة‬ ‫إثني عشر‬
5. The number will be followed ‫رأيت أحد عشر يييي‬
1
‫يييي ييييي ييي‬

by a singular noun which is And not

indefinite and is in the ‫رأيت أحد عشر يييي‬
accusative case therefore
will have a tanween
(fathatayn) and an alif at the
end (if the noun does not end
with a ta marbuta).

• Numbers from 13 to 19
1. There is an inverted ‫أكل ثلثة عشر رجل‬
agreement in the unit with And not
the numbered noun, and a ‫أكل ثلث ييي رجل‬
direct agreement with 10.
‫ت خمس عشرة بنتًا‬
ْ ‫شرب‬
And not
‫ت خمسة عشرة بنتًا‬
ْ ‫شرب‬

2. The number will be followed ‫ل ـ بنتًا‬

ً ‫رج‬
by a singular noun which is And not
indefinite and is in the ‫رجال ـ بنات‬
accusative case therefore
will have a tanween In the case of a ta marbuta
(fathatayn) and an alif at the
end (if the noun does not end
ً‫سنة‬
with a ta marbuta).