Back
Advanced

Numbers and Counted Nouns

Number–noun agreement

3–10 reverse the gender

Numbers 3–10 take the opposite gender of the counted noun, which is a genitive plural.

📊 Number–noun rules
Number Counted noun Gender of number
1–2 follows, agrees same
3–10 genitive plural opposite
11–99 accusative singular mixed
100+ genitive singular
💬 Examples
ثلاثةُ كُتُبٍ
thalaathatu kutubin
three books
📝 كتاب is masc., so number is feminine
ثلاثُ بَناتٍ
thalaathu banaatin
three girls
📝 بنت is fem., so number is masculine
11–99 take a singular accusative

From 11 to 99 the counted noun is a single accusative (tamyīz).

💬 Examples
أحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوكَباً
aḥada 'ashara kawkaban
eleven planets
📝 Singular accusative noun
عِشرونَ طالِباً
'ishruuna ṭaaliban
twenty students
📝 Singular accusative
100 and above take a singular genitive

From 100 up, the counted noun is a single genitive.

💬 Examples
مِئةُ عامٍ
mi'atu 'aamin
a hundred years
📝 Singular genitive
ألفُ دينارٍ
alfu diinaarin
a thousand dinars
📝 Singular genitive