Lesson 50
Indirect Object and Specifications Tamyīz
التمييز
Tamyīz is an accusative noun that disambiguates a potentially vague word especially after numbers, comparative adjectives, and verbs expressing emotion. It answers "in respect of what?"
Tamyīz Usage
ContextArabicTamyīzMeaning
After كَمْكَمِ اشْتَرَيْتَ كِتَاباً؟كِتَاباًHow many books did you buy?
After numbers 11–99عِشْرُونَ طَالِباًطَالِباًtwenty students
After comparativeأَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنْكَ عِلْماًعِلْماًI have more knowledge than you
After verb of emotionاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْباًشَيْباًMy head blazed with grey hair (19:4)
Area measureاشْتَرَيْتُ فَدَّاناً قَمْحاًقَمْحاًI bought a feddan (of) wheat
Number-Based Tamyīz Patterns
NumbersTamyīz formExample
3–10Plural genitiveثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ
11–99Singular accusativeعِشْرِينَ كِتَاباً
100+Singular genitiveمِئَةُ كِتَابٍ
اشْتَرَيْتُ عِشْرِينَ كِتَاباً هَذَا أَحْسَنُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ خُلُقاً
Ishtaraytu ʿishrīna kitāban Hādhā aḥsanu min dhālika khuluqan
I bought twenty books. This is better than that in character.
وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْباً أَنَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْكَ سِنًّا
Wa-shtaʿala r-raʾsu shayban Anā akbaru minka sinnan
"And my head blazed with grey hair." (19:4) I am older than you in age.
- Tamyīz after numbers 11–99: singular accusative عِشْرِين كِتَاباً.
- Tamyīz of ratio: clarifies the domain of comparison أَكْثَر مِنْكَ عِلْماً (more than you in knowledge).
- Tamyīz is always indefinite and singular it specifies the category, not a specific instance.
- Sentence tamyīz (transformed from subject/object): the Quranic اشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْباً originally "grey hair blazed in my head" shows tamyīz converting the original subject.
- Numbers 3–10 require a plural genitive (not tamyīz) only numbers 11 and above use the singular accusative tamyīz pattern.