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    • « Surah Tiyn, Verse 8 | Home | The Number System From 11-19 »

    The Number System From 1-2

    By ArabicTree | August 22, 2007

    In Arabic, words automatically reflect number: either singular, dual, or plural (3+). For this reason, the numbers 1 and 2 are not numbers (ma’duwd), but adjectives (na’at).

    What does it mean? It means that using the numbers 1 and 2 are optional–they are already implied in the word form, and are therefore only explicitly stated as emphasis (which is a general rule in Arabic–repetition is emphasis).

    For example, you could say:

    kitaabun: (a book)
    kitaabaani: (two books)
    kitaabun waahidun: (exactly/precisely one book)
    kitaabaani ithnaani (exactly/precisely two books)

    battatun (a duck)
    battataani (two ducks)
    battatun ihdaa (exactly/precisely one duck)
    battataani ithnataani (precisely /only two ducks)

    Topics: Beginner, Grammar | No Comments »

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