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Arabic Numbers 1 to 20

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Count to twenty, survive the gender polarity of 3–10, say your age, and tell the time.

واحد to عشرة

The first ten: واحد, اثنان, ثلاثة, أربعة, خمسة, ستة, سبعة, ثمانية, تسعة, عشرة. One and two AGREE with the noun's gender: كتاب واحد (one book, m) but سيارة واحدة (one car, f); كتابان but سيارتان. Note that واحد follows the noun (كتاب واحد) while the rest precede it (ثلاثة كتب) — the first of several number quirks.

The polarity of 3–10

Numbers 3–10 show polarity: they take the OPPOSITE gender to the noun. ثلاثة كتب (three books — masculine noun, feminine-looking number with ة) but ثلاث طالبات (three students — feminine noun, bare number). The ة marks feminine everywhere else in Arabic — except here, where it marks masculine nouns. Drill with real nouns until it stops feeling backwards.

Eleven to twenty

Teens compound with عشر: أحد عشر, اثنا عشر, ثلاثة عشر… تسعة عشر (11–19), then عشرون (20). Eleven and twelve agree in gender (أحد عشر كتابا / إحدى عشرة سيارة); 13–19 keep polarity in the first digit (ثلاثة عشر كتابا). Counted nouns go singular after 11+: أحد عشر كتابا (eleven book — singular!). Twenty, thirty (ثلاثون) and beyond never change for gender.

Age, time and money

Age: عمري عشرون سنة (ʿumrī ʿishrūn sana — my age twenty years — I am 20), asked as كم عمرك؟ (to a man) / كم عمرك؟ (to a woman). Time: الساعة الثالثة (the hour the-third — three o'clock). Money varies by country (riyal, dinar, dirham, pound) — prices are haggled in souqs with بكم؟ (bikam? — for how much?).

Arabic course Practice Quiz Review