Singular Fractions: The (فُعْل) Pattern
In Arabic, fractions from one-fifth to one-tenth are highly predictable. They are derived from the same root letters as their corresponding whole numbers, but they are molded into the distinct pattern (فُعْل).
| Fraction | Arabic |
|---|---|
| 1/5 | خمس |
| 1/6 | سدس |
| 1/7 | سبع |
| 1/8 | ثمن |
| 1/9 | تسع |
| 1/10 | عشر |
When discussing statistics, survey results, or demographics, you will usually see these fractions in one of two ways: placed directly before a definite plural noun (forming an Idafa possession structure, like "a tenth of the workers"), or attached to a plural pronoun suffix like (هم) or (هن).
| The demographic poll included a thousand participants; a fifth of them are single. | شمل الاستطلاع الديموغرافي ألف مشارك؛ خمسهم عازبون.shamala alistitlâu addîmûghrâfiyyu alfa mushârikin; khumsuhum âzibûna. |
| The chart clarified that a sixth of the population are children. | أوضح المخطط البياني أن سدس السكان أطفال.awdaha al-mukhattatu al-bayâniyyu anna sudusa as-sukkâni atfâlun |
| As for the women, an eighth of them are employees in this sector. | أما النساء، فثمنهن موظفات في هذا القطاع.ammâ an-nisâ'u, fathumnuhunna muwazzafâtun fî hâdhâ al-qitâ'i. |
Plural Fractions: The (أفعال) Pattern
When a statistic requires a numerator greater than one—such as "three fifths" or "seven ninths"—you must use the plural form of the fraction. Just like the singulars, these fractional plurals all follow a single, standard pattern: (أفعال).
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| خمس | أخماس |
| سدس | أسداس |
| سبع | أسباع |
| ثمن | أثمان |
| تسع | أتساع |
| عشر | أعشار |
To form a complex fraction, simply state the numerator as a standard number, followed by the plural fraction. For example, taking "three" (ثلاثة) and "fifths" (أخماس) gives you (ثلاثة أخماس). These combined phrases can then attach to nouns or pronouns exactly like their singular counterparts.
| A thousand women participated in the questionnaire; three fifths of them are students. | شاركت في الاستبيان ألف امرأة؛ ثلاثة أخماسهن طالبات.shârakat fi-l-istibyâni alfu-mra'atin; thalâthatu akhmâsihinna tâlibâtun |
| The minister Ahmed showed that seven ninths of the budget goes to education. | أظهر الوزير أحمد أن سبعة أتساع الميزانية تذهب إلى التعليم.azhara al-wazîru ahmadu anna sabata atsâi al-mîzâniyyati tadhhabu ilâ at-talîmi |
| As for the foreign workers, eight tenths of them live in the capital. | أما العمال الأجانب، فثمانية أعشارهم يسكنون في العاصمة.ammâ al-ummâlu al-ajânibu, fathamâniyatu a'shârihim yaskunûna fî al-'âsimati. |
