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### Counting from 3 to 10

When counting items from three to ten in Arabic, two unique rules apply:
1. The counted noun must be **plural** and in the **genitive case** (forming an Idafa or possession structure with the number).
2. The number and the noun use **reverse gender agreement**.

Reverse gender agreement means the gender of the number is the *opposite* of the gender of the noun's **singular** form.
- If the singular noun is masculine, the number takes a feminine form (ending in ة).
- If the singular noun is feminine, the number takes a masculine form (without ة).

| Number | Used with Feminine Nouns (Masculine Form) | Used with Masculine Nouns (Feminine Form) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | ثلاث | ثلاثة |
| 4 | أربع | أربعة |
| 5 | خمس | خمسة |
| 6 | ست | ستة |
| 7 | سبع | سبعة |
| 8 | ثماني | ثمانية |
| 9 | تسع | تسعة |
| 10 | عشر | عشرة |

### Counting Feminine Nouns

When counting a noun that is feminine in its singular form, use the masculine form of the number (without ة).

For example, "year" (سنة) is feminine. To count years, we use masculine numbers like ثلاث (three) and أربع (four), followed by the plural "years" (سنوات).

{{item:1088316}}

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The singular words for "tree" (شجرة) and "village" (قرية) are also feminine, so they are counted using masculine numbers.

{{item:1088328}}

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### Counting Masculine Nouns

When counting a noun that is masculine in its singular form, you must use the feminine form of the number (ending in ة).

For example, "dollar" (دولار) is masculine. To say "six dollars", use the feminine number ستة. Even if the plural ends in ات (a typical feminine plural suffix), the rule always relies on the gender of the **singular** noun.

{{item:1088321}}

Words like "pupil" (تلميذ), "exercise" (تمرين), or "question" (سؤال) are also masculine in the singular, so they take numbers ending in ة.

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### Mixed Examples

Because the rule relies strictly on the singular form, it is important to know the singular of any plural noun you wish to count. 

Notice how masculine singular nouns ("dollar", "answer", "cup") pair with numbers ending in ة, while feminine singular nouns ("toy", "point", "star") take numbers without ة.

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Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

The future tense (سـ / سوف)

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

Telling time (الساعة)

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Expressing purpose (لـ)

Question	Answer
year	سنةsana
I stayed in Egypt for three years.	بقيت في مصر ثلاث سنوات.baqaytu fi misra thalâtha sanawâtin
The project started four years ago.	بدأ المشروع قبل أربع سنوات.bada'a al-mashrû'u qabla arba'i sanawâtin
toy / ride (at an amusement park)	لعبةlu'ba
dollar	دولارdûlâr
The boy has four toys and five dollars.	عند الولد أربع ألعاب وخمسة دولارات.'inda al-waladi arba'u al'âbin wa-khamsatu dûlârâtin
The price of the toy is six dollars.	سعر اللعبة ستة دولارات.si'ru l-lu'bati sittatu dûlârât.
pupil	تلميذtilmîdh
exercise	تمرينtamrîn
The pupil wrote five exercises yesterday.	كتب التلميذ خمسة تمارين أمس.kataba at-tilmeedhu khamsata tamâreena amsi
I found three exercises on the page.	وجدت ثلاثة تمارين في الصفحة.wajadtu thalâthata tamârîna fis-safha
There are seven pupils in the school.	هناك سبعة تلاميذ في المدرسة.hunâka sab'atu talâmeedha fee al-madrasati
I received seven gifts yesterday.	استلمت سبع هدايا أمس.istalamtu sab'a hadâyâ amsi.
The girl drew nine trees.	رسمت البنت تسع أشجار.rasamati-l-bintu tis'a ashjârin
village	قريةqarya
There are five villages behind the mountain.	هناك خمس قرى وراء الجبل.hunâka khamsu qura warâ'a al-jabali.
answer	جوابjawâb
point	نقطةnuqta
I have three answers and four points.	عندي ثلاثة أجوبة وأربع نقاط.indi thalâthatu ajwibatin wa-arba'u niqâtin.
The professor received eight questions.	استلم الأستاذ ثمانية أسئلة.istalama al-ustâdhu thamâniyata as'ilatin.
The team got ten points.	حصل الفريق على عشر نقاط.hasala al-farîqu 'alâ 'ashri niqâtin.
cup (small, for coffee or tea)	فنجانfinjân
I drank three cups of coffee.	شربت ثلاثة فناجين من القهوة.sharibtu thalâthata fanâjîna mina al-qahwati
The man put four bottles on the table.	وضع الرجل أربع زجاجات على الطاولة.wada'a ar-rajulu arba'a zujâjâtin 'alâ at-tâwilati
star	نجمةnajma
I drank four cups of coffee under seven stars.	شربت أربعة فناجين من القهوة تحت سبع نجوم.sharibtu arba'ata fanâjîna mina alqahwati tahta sab'i nujûmin
I saw five stars above four villages.	رأيت خمس نجوم فوق أربع قرى.ra'aytu khamsa nujûmin fawqa arba'i quran
The student wrote six answers in the notebook.	كتب الطالب ستة أجوبة في الدفتر.kataba at-tâlibu sittata ajwibatin fi ad-daftari
teacher	معلمmu'allim
The teacher is at the school.	المعلم في المدرسة.al-mu'allimu fi al-madrasati.
The teacher has ten pupils.	عند المعلم عشرة تلاميذ.inda al-muallimi asharatu talâmîdha.
The teacher wrote five exercises.	كتب المعلم خمسة تمارين.kataba al-mu'allimu khamsata tamarina.

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