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Kam: How Many
By ArabicTree | October 3, 2008
In Arabic, when you want to ask how much or how many of something, you use the word “kam“:
Kam means “how much” or “how many,” depending on the context. The word immediately after kam–the thing you’re asking about–is always singular and mansoob.
Here are some examples:
How many brothers do you have? Here, akhan is singular and mansoob. Note that the English is plural–brothers–even though the Arabic is singular–brother.
How much for this watch? Here, kam means “how much,” not “how many.” Though, commonly, people get lazy and just say “kam haadha?” for something they want to buy.
How many cats are eating the fish? Qittah (cats, here) is singular and mansoob, even though the word qittah is translated into English as “cats.”
And that’s kam, in a nutshell!
Topics: Grammar, Intermediate |
October 6th, 2008 at 4:01 am
كَم لِهَاذا الِسَاعَةِ؟
Shouldn’t this be haadhihi rather than haadaha?
October 7th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Oops, you’re right–jazakumullahu khayran for the catch!