Numbers three through ten form one tightly governed phrase in formal Modern Standard Arabic: the numeral normally comes first, its form is opposite the gender of the counted noun's singular, and the counted noun is plural genitive. Thus “three books” is ثلاثة كتب because singular كتاب is masculine, while “three cars” is ثلاث سيارات because singular سيارة is feminine.
This pattern is called gender polarity. It belongs specifically to 3–10; one and two agree, 11 and 12 agree, and 13–19 divide gender behavior between two components. The forms here are neutral MSA (formal). Many regional varieties simplify them in everyday speech (regional: varies), but that simplification should not be imported into edited prose.
If the isolated citation forms are not yet familiar, review Numbers 0–10 in Isolation before attaching counted nouns.
Build the phrase in three decisions
For any 3–10 phrase:
- Recover the singular of the counted noun and identify its lexical gender.
- Choose the opposite numeral form.
- Put the counted noun in the genitive plural.
| Value | With a masculine singular | With a feminine singular |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | ثلاثة | ثلاث |
| 4 | أربعة | أربع |
| 5 | خمسة | خمس |
| 6 | ستة | ست |
| 7 | سبعة | سبع |
| 8 | ثمانية | ثماني |
| 9 | تسعة | تسع |
| 10 | عشرة | عشر |
The labels “with a masculine singular” and “with a feminine singular” matter. The actual counted noun printed after the numeral is plural, and a broken plural's shape may not transparently reveal the singular's gender.
وصلت أربعة طرود إلى قسم الاستقبال.
waṣalat ʾarbaʿatu ṭurūdin ʾilā qismi l-istiqbāl.
Four parcels arrived at the reception department.
Singular طرد is masculine, so four appears as أربعة. Plural طرودٍ is genitive even though the whole number phrase is the subject.
أغلقت ثلاث محطات بسبب العاصفة.
ʾughliqat thalāthu maḥaṭṭātin bi-sababi l-ʿāṣifa(h).
Three stations were closed because of the storm.
Singular محطة is feminine, so three loses ـة: ثلاث. The counted noun is plural genitive محطاتٍ.
Case belongs to the numeral
The counted noun stays genitive, but the numeral changes case according to the phrase's role. Fully vocalized examples make this contrast audible in careful MSA (formal).
| Phrase role | Numeral | Counted noun |
|---|---|---|
| subject: nominative | ثلاثةُ | كتبٍ |
| direct object: accusative | ثلاثةَ | كتبٍ |
| after a preposition: genitive | ثلاثةِ | كتبٍ |
صدرت ثلاثة تقارير هذا الأسبوع.
ṣadarat thalāthatu taqārīra hādhā l-ʾusbūʿ.
Three reports were issued this week.
راجعت ثلاثة تقارير قبل الجلسة.
rājaʿtu thalāthata taqārīra qabla l-jalsa(h).
I reviewed three reports before the session.
أشرت إلى ثلاثة تقارير في المقدمة.
ʾashartu ʾilā thalāthati taqārīra fī l-muqaddima(h).
I referred to three reports in the introduction.
تقارير is a diptote broken plural, so its indefinite genitive is visibly تقاريرَ, with fatḥa rather than kasra. It is still genitive. This is a noun-declension fact, not an exception to the number rule.
With a feminine singular, the same three numeral cases appear on the form without ـة:
شاركت خمس طبيبات في الحملة.
shārakat khamsu ṭabībātin fī l-ḥamla(h).
Five female doctors took part in the campaign.
دعوت خمس طبيبات إلى الاجتماع.
daʿawtu khamsa ṭabībātin ʾilā l-ijtimāʿ.
I invited five female doctors to the meeting.
تعاونت مع خمس طبيبات في المشروع.
taʿāwantu maʿa khamsi ṭabībātin fī l-mashrūʿ.
I collaborated with five female doctors on the project.
English changes neither five nor the relation between number and noun. Arabic marks the larger syntax on خمسُ/خمسَ/خمسِ, while طبيباتٍ remains the genitive specification of the number.
The counted noun is plural genitive
The plural can be sound or broken, human or non-human. What does not change is its genitive status. Any adjective describing that plural also follows normal Arabic agreement.
استعارت المكتبة سبعة حواسيب جديدة للورشة.
ʾistaʿārati l-maktabatu sabʿata ḥawāsība jadīdatin li-l-warsha(h).
The library borrowed seven new computers for the workshop.
حاسوب is masculine, selecting سبعة. Broken plural حواسيبَ is genitive diptote; because it is non-human plural, adjective جديدةٍ is feminine singular and genitive.
دفعت سبعة دولارات مقابل التوصيل.
dafaʿtu sabʿata dūlārātin muqābila t-tawṣīl.
I paid seven dollars for delivery.
This natural price phrase uses masculine singular دولار, the opposite-shaped numeral سبعةَ, and plural genitive دولاراتٍ.
Eight is genuinely irregular
With masculine nouns, ثمانية behaves regularly: ثمانية كتب. With feminine nouns, the defective form appears as ثماني in the construct before its plural complement: ثماني ساعات. Its final ي is retained because the numeral is the first term of an iḍāfa; accusative fatḥa can be audible as ثمانيَ.
استغرقت الرحلة ٨ ساعات، أي ثماني ساعات كاملة.
ʾistaghraqati r-riḥlatu thamāniya sāʿātin, ʾay thamāniya sāʿātin kāmila(h).
The trip took 8 hours—that is, eight full hours.
The digit ٨ is read according to the phrase, not as an isolated memorized label. Here feminine ساعة requires ثمانيَ, and ساعاتٍ is plural genitive. There is no dependable shortcut that removes this irregularity; learn ثماني ساعات as a unit.
Ten closes this pattern
Ten still belongs to polarity: عشرة أيام with masculine يوم, but عشر ليال with feminine ليلة. Eleven begins a new agreement system.
بقي الضيوف عشر ليال في المدينة.
baqiya ḍ-ḍuyūfu ʿashara layālin fī l-madīna(h).
The guests stayed ten nights in the city.
Common Mistakes
Making the numeral agree instead of showing polarity
❌ حجزنا ثلاثة غرف.
Incorrect — singular غرفة is feminine, so three uses the opposite form ثلاث.
✅ حجزنا ثلاث غرف.
ḥajaznā thalātha ghuraf.
We booked three rooms.
Leaving the counted noun singular
❌ وصلت أربعة طرد.
Incorrect — after 3–10, the counted noun must be plural genitive.
✅ وصلت أربعة طرود.
waṣalat ʾarbaʿatu ṭurūd.
Four parcels arrived.
Making the counted plural nominative with the whole subject
❌ حضر خمسة موظفون.
Incorrect — the whole phrase is nominative, but the counted noun remains genitive plural.
✅ حضر خمسة موظفين.
ḥaḍara khamsatu muwaẓẓafīn.
Five employees attended.
Missing case on the numeral after a preposition
❌ تحدثت مع خمسة موظفين.
Incorrect when read خمسةُ — after مع, the numeral must be read in the genitive as خمسةِ.
✅ تحدثت مع خمسة موظفين.
taḥaddathtu maʿa khamsati muwaẓẓafīn.
I spoke with five employees.
Extending 3–10 beyond its boundary
❌ قرأت خمسة عشر كتب.
Incorrect — fifteen takes a singular accusative specification, not the 3–10 plural.
✅ قرأت خمسة عشر كتابا.
qaraʾtu khamsata ʿashara kitābā.
I read fifteen books.
Key Takeaways
- For 3–10, choose the numeral opposite the gender of the counted noun's singular.
- The counted noun is plural genitive; a diptote may show that genitive with fatḥa.
- The numeral takes nominative, accusative, or genitive according to the whole phrase's role.
- ثماني before a feminine counted noun is irregular and should be learned in model phrases.
- Ten still shows polarity; eleven begins a separate agreement pattern with a singular accusative noun.
Now practice Arabic
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Arabic →Related Topics
- Case across Complex NumeralsA2 — Track exactly which component changes for nominative, accusative, and genitive case in twelve, decades, coordinated numbers, and large-number phrases.
- Numbers 11 and 12A2 — Form eleven and twelve with gender agreement, a singular accusative counted noun, and the visible nominative–oblique contrast of twelve.
- Numbers 0–10 in IsolationA1 — Read, pronounce, and distinguish the citation and gender-paired forms of Arabic zero through ten before building counted-noun phrases.