Lesson 19
Numbers 1–10 Masculine
الأعداد ١–١٠ مذكر
Arabic numbers 3–10 follow the famous Rule of Polarity: when counting masculine nouns, the number itself takes a feminine form. This counter-intuitive rule is one of the most discussed features of Arabic grammar.
Numbers 1–10 with Masculine Nouns
NumberArabicWith كِتَاب (m)Note
1وَاحِدكِتَابٌ وَاحِدfollows noun, agrees
2اِثْنَانِكِتَابَانِuse dual, not "2 + noun"
3ثَلَاثَةثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍة on number (polarity)
4أَرْبَعَةأَرْبَعَةُ رِجَالٍة on number (polarity)
5خَمْسَةخَمْسَةُ أَوْلَادٍة on number (polarity)
7سَبْعَةسَبْعَةُ كُتُبٍة on number (polarity)
10عَشَرَةعَشَرَةُ طُلَّابٍة on number (polarity)
The Rule of Polarity (قَاعِدَة الْمُخَالَفَة)
Numbers 3–10: use the opposite gender from the counted noun. Masculine noun → feminine number (with ة). The counted noun follows in the genitive plural.
Numbers 1–2 are exceptions: they agree with the noun in gender (no polarity), and they come after the noun, not before it.
عِنْدِي سَبْعَةُ كُتُبٍ فِي الْفَصْلِ عَشَرَةُ طُلَّابٍ وَلَدٌ وَاحِدٌ
ʿIndī sabʿatu kutubin Fī l-faṣli ʿasharat ṭullābin Waladun wāḥid
I have seven books. In the class there are ten students. One boy.
قَرَأْتُ ثَلَاثَةَ كُتُبٍ رَأَيْتُ خَمْسَةَ رِجَالٍ فِي الْمَسْجِد
Qaraʾtu thalāthata kutubin Raʾaytu khamsata rijālin fī l-masjid
I read three books. I saw five men in the mosque. (numbers in accusative: thalāthata)
Sample Dialogue
أ: كَمْ كِتَاباً عِنْدَكَ؟ ب: عِنْدِي ثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ. أ: وَكَمْ طَالِباً فِي الْفَصْلِ؟ ب: فِيهِ عَشَرَةُ طُلَّاب.
A: Kam kitāban ʿindaka? B: ʿIndī thalāthatu kutubin. A: Wa-kam ṭāliban fī l-faṣl? B: Fīhi ʿasharat ṭullāb.
A: How many books do you have? B: I have three books. A: And how many students in the class? B: There are ten students.
- Numbers 3–10 precede the noun; the counted noun is in the genitive plural.
- Rule of Polarity (masculine noun): use the number WITH ة (the "feminine" form).
- Numbers 1 and 2 follow the noun and agree in gender no polarity applies.
- When the number is in the accusative (as object), its final vowel changes: ثَلَاثَةَ (accusative) vs ثَلَاثَةُ (nominative).
- Use كَمْ؟ (how many?) followed by an accusative singular noun to ask about quantity.