Lesson 18
Dual Forms and Interrogatives
المثنى
Arabic has a dedicated dual form for exactly two of something nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and verbs all have dual forms. The suffix ـَانِ (nominative) / ـَيْنِ (accusative/genitive) is added to the noun.
Dual Formation Nouns
SingularDual (nom. ـَانِ)Dual (acc./gen. ـَيْنِ)Meaning
كِتَابكِتَابَانِكِتَابَيْنِtwo books
طَالِبطَالِبَانِطَالِبَيْنِtwo students (m)
مَدْرَسَةمَدْرَسَتَانِمَدْرَسَتَيْنِtwo schools
يَوْميَوْمَانِيَوْمَيْنِtwo days
Key Interrogatives
ArabicTransliterationMeaning
مَنْ؟man?who? (for persons)
مَا؟ / مَاذَا؟mā? / mādhā?what?
أَيْنَ؟ayna?where?
مَتَى؟matā?when?
كَيْفَ؟kayfa?how?
كَمْ؟kam?how many / much?
عِنْدِي كِتَابَانِ قَرَأْتُ كِتَابَيْنِ ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى مَدْرَسَتَيْنِ
ʿIndī kitābāni Qaraʾtu kitābayn Dhahabtu ilā madrasatayn
I have two books. I read two books. I went to two schools. (gen.: madrasatayn)
مَتَى تَذْهَبُ؟ أَذْهَبُ غَداً. كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟ بِخَيْرٍ، شُكْراً.
Matā tadhhabu? Adhhabu ghadan. Kayfa ḥāluka? Bikhayrin, shukran.
When do you go? I go tomorrow. How are you? Fine, thank you.
Sample Dialogue
أ: كَمْ كِتَاباً عِنْدَكَ؟ ب: عِنْدِي كِتَابَانِ. أ: مَتَى قَرَأْتَهُمَا؟ ب: قَرَأْتُهُمَا أَمْسِ.
A: Kam kitāban ʿindaka? B: ʿIndī kitābāni. A: Matā qaraʾtahumā? B: Qaraʾtahumā amsi.
A: How many books do you have? B: I have two books. A: When did you read them (two)? B: I read them yesterday.
- Nominative dual: ـَانِ. Accusative/Genitive dual: ـَيْنِ the case distinction mirrors singular nouns.
- Tāʾ marbūṭa (ة) becomes تَ before the dual suffix: مَدْرَسَة → مَدْرَسَتَانِ.
- Dual is only for exactly two for three or more, use the plural.
- The dual suffix replaces tanwīn definite duals: الْكِتَابَانِ (the two books), no tanwīn.
- هُمَا (they two) is the pronoun for dual subjects; ـُهُمَا is the attached object/preposition form.