Dual quantifiers (كلا / كلتا)

The Dual Quantifiers: Both (كلا / كلتا)

In Arabic, when you want to talk about "both" items or people in a pair, you use special dual quantifiers. There are separate forms for masculine and feminine nouns.

Masculine: كلا

To say "both" for masculine nouns, use the word كلا. Grammar-wise, this word acts as the first part of an idafa (possessive) construction.

Because it forms an idafa, the dual noun that directly follows it must be definite (taking ال) and in the genitive case. For dual nouns, the genitive ending is ـين instead of the standard nominative ـان.

Notice how the nouns "suggestions" and "alternatives" end in ـين because of the idafa, while the adjectives describing them at the end of the sentence use the regular nominative dual ending ـان.

Feminine: كلتا

For feminine nouns, use the feminine equivalent كلتا. It follows the exact same idafa rules: the feminine noun that follows takes ال and the dual genitive ending ـين.

Prepositions and Cases

Because the noun following كلا or كلتا is firmly locked in the genitive case (ending in ـين) by the idafa, adding a preposition before the phrase doesn't change the ending of that noun. The words كلا and كلتا themselves also keep their exact same form.