Asking "How Many?"
To ask "how many" in Arabic, use the word كم. It is immediately followed by a singular noun in the accusative case (typically ending in ـاً or ـةً).
| How many children did you see in the garden? | كم طفلا رأيت في الحديقة؟kam tiflan ra'ayta fil-hadîqah? |
| How many cups did the boy wash? | كم كوبا غسل الولد؟kam kûban ghasala l-waladu? |
Expressing "One" of an Item
Unlike numbers three and up, the number "one" in Arabic acts as an adjective. It comes after the noun it describes and matches its gender.
- Use واحد for masculine nouns.
- Use واحدة for feminine nouns.
| The boy washed one cup. | غسل الولد كوبا واحدا.ghasala l-waladu kûban wâhidan. |
| How many meals did you order from the restaurant? | كم وجبة طلبت من المطعم؟kam wajbatan talabta mina al-mat'am |
| I ordered one meal from the restaurant. | طلبت وجبة واحدة من المطعم.talabtu wajbatan wâhidatan mina al-mat'ami. |
Expressing "Two" of an Item
To say there are "two" of something, Arabic uses a special dual form of the noun, which usually ends in ـان. Because the noun itself already means "two," adding the number is optional but frequently used for emphasis.
Like "one," the number two acts as an adjective and follows the noun, matching its gender:
- Use اثنان for masculine nouns.
- Use اثنتان for feminine nouns.
| How many people attended the meeting? | كم شخصا حضر الاجتماع؟kam shakhsan hadara al-ijtimâ'a |
| Two people attended the meeting. | حضر شخصان اثنان الاجتماع.hadara shakhsâni ithnâni al-ijtimâ'a. |
| How many tickets remained in the box? | كم تذكرة بقيت في الصندوق؟kam tadhkiratan baqiyat fi ssunduq? |
| Two tickets remained in the box. | بقيت تذكرتان اثنتان في الصندوق.baqiyat tadhkaratâni ithnatâni fî as-sundûq |
Mixing Genders in a Sentence
When counting multiple different items in a single sentence, simply ensure that each number matches the gender of the specific noun it follows.
| How many books did the student buy? | كم كتابا اشترى الطالب؟kam kitâban ishtarâ at-tâlibu? |
| He bought one book and one bag. | اشترى كتابا واحدا وحقيبة واحدة.ishtarâ kitâban wâhidan wa haqîbatan wâhidah. |
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