Numbers

1. وَاحِد، اِثْنَان، ثَلَاثَة

   Wāḥid, ithnān, thalātha

   One, two, three

   Usage

   Basic counting. Arabic numbers are complex and can change based on the gender of the noun counted.

   Grammar Note

   Arabic counting is unique: for 3-10, "gender polarity" occurs — masculine nouns use feminine number forms and vice versa.

2. أَرْبَعَة، خَمْسَة، سِتَّة

   Arbaʿa, khamsa, sitta

   Four, five, six

   Usage

   Basic numbers used for quantities in markets and transport.

   Grammar Note

   These forms count masculine nouns (due to gender polarity). Colloquial forms are often used in everyday speech.

3. سَبْعَة، ثَمَانِيَة، تِسْعَة، عَشَرَة

   Sabʿa, thamāniya, tisʿa, ʿashara

   Seven, eight, nine, ten

   Usage

   Numbers needed for phone numbers, times, and prices in daily situations.

   Grammar Note

   10 is "ʿashara." Beyond 10, forms change: 20 is "ʿishrūn," 100 is "miʾa." Eastern Arabic numerals (٠١٢٣...) are also widely used.

4. عِشْرُون، خَمْسُون، مِئَة

   ʿishrūn, khamsūn, miʾa

   Twenty, fifty, one hundred

   Usage

   Used for prices and quantities. Essential for bargaining at markets.

   Grammar Note

   Tens from 20-90 follow a regular pattern (-ūn suffix). After "miʾa," the noun is singular genitive. 1000 is "alf."

5. كَمْ هَذَا؟

   Kam hādhā?

   How much is this?

   Usage

   The simplest phrase to ask for a price while shopping. Used constantly in markets.

   Grammar Note

   "Kam" is an interrogative for amount. More formal: "Mā siʿru hādhā?" (What is the price of this?).

6. الثَّمَن غَالٍ جِدًّا

   Ath-thaman ghālin jiddan

   The price is too expensive

   Usage

   Used in market price negotiations as a starting point for bargaining.

   Grammar Note

   "Ghālin" is a predicate adjective. The "ٍ" is how a defective (manqūṣ) word is written in the indefinite state: it is written "ـٍ" in both the nominative and the genitive (here it is nominative, as a predicate).

7. هَلْ يُمْكِنُ التَّخْفِيض؟

   Hal yumkinu at-takhfīḍ?

   Is a discount possible?

   Usage

   Used when bargaining in markets. Price negotiation is common and expected in Arab markets.

   Grammar Note

   "Takhfīḍ" is the verbal noun of Form II "khaffaḍa" (to reduce/lower). Root kh-f-ḍ means to lower.

8. كَمِ السَّاعَة؟

   Kami s-sāʿa?

   What time is it?

   Usage

   A simple phrase to ask the time. "Mā as-sāʿa?" is another common form.

   Grammar Note

   "As-sāʿa ath-thālitha" means "3 o'clock." Time expressions use feminine number forms.

9. أُرِيدُ ثَلَاثَ قِطَع

   Urīdu thalāta qiṭaʿ

   I would like three pieces

   Usage

   Used in markets or shops to order multiple items.

   Grammar Note

   "Qiṭaʿ" is the broken plural of "qiṭʿa" (piece). Arabic uses both regular and irregular (broken) plural patterns.

10. أَلْف وَخَمْسُمِئَة

    Alf wa-khamsmiʾa

    One thousand five hundred

    Usage

    Used for larger amounts such as hotel prices or airfare.

    Grammar Note

    Large numbers: 1000 (alf), 1,000,000 (milyūn). Compound numbers are joined with "wa-" (and).

11. الرَّقْم الأَوَّل

    Ar-raqm al-awwal

    Number one / the first

    Usage

    Used for sequences and room numbers. Useful for queuing or ordering.

    Grammar Note

    Ordinals: "al-awwal" (1st), "ath-thānī" (2nd), "ath-thālith" (3rd). "Awwal" means "first" or "the beginning."

12. عُمْرِي سَبْع وَعِشْرُونَ سَنَة

    ʿUmrī sabʿ wa-ʿishrūn sana

    I'm 27 years old

    Usage

    How to answer "kam ʿumruka?" (how old are you?). "ʿUmrī" = my age, followed by the number.

    Grammar Note

    For 21-99 the unit comes first, joined by "wa-" to the ten. Numerals 3-10 take the gender opposite to the counted noun (polarity), so the feminine noun "sana" takes the masculine form "sabʿ". With the masculine noun "ʿām" the numeral flips to "sabʿa wa-ʿishrūn ʿāman".

13. هَذِهِ السَّنَة سَأَبْلُغُ الثَّامِنَة وَالعِشْرِينَ مِنْ عُمْرِي

    Hādhihi as-sana sa-ablughu ath-thāmina wa-l-ʿishrīn min ʿumrī

    I turn 28 this year

    Usage

    Used in the year your age changes. "Balagha ... min al-ʿumr" (to reach ... of age) is the set phrase for stating age, and takes an ordinal.

    Grammar Note

    The prefix "sa-" marks the near future. When age is expressed with "balagha", the ordinal (ath-thāmina wa-l-ʿishrīn), not the cardinal, is used, followed by "min ʿumrī".

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