Breakdown of هناك طبقان اثنان وشطيرة واحدة.
هناكhunâka
there
وwa
and
اثنانithnân
two
واحدةwâhida
one
طبقtabaq
plate (for eating) / dish (of food)
شطيرةshatîra
sandwich
Questions & Answers about هناك طبقان اثنان وشطيرة واحدة.
Why do we say طبقان اثنان for "two plates"? Doesn't طبقان already mean two plates?
Yes, it does! The word طبقان already means "two plates" because of the ـان dual ending. Adding the number اثنان (two) after it is actually optional in Arabic. When we use it like we did in this sentence, it's just to add emphasis.
Why did we use اثنان for the plates, but واحدة for the sandwich?
In Arabic, the numbers 1 and 2 act like adjectives, so they must match the gender of the noun they count. The singular word for plate is طبق, which is masculine, so it takes the masculine number two (اثنان). The word for sandwich is شطيرة, which is feminine (notice the taa marbootah ـة at the end), so it takes the feminine number one (واحدة).
Why do the numbers come after the nouns in this sentence?
The numbers 1 and 2 always come after the noun in Arabic. Because they follow the rules of adjectives (like matching gender), they are placed exactly where a normal adjective would go: right after the thing they describe.
Does هناك change depending on whether it means "there is" or "there are"?
No, هناك is incredibly flexible. It is used for both "there is" and "there are". You don't need to change its spelling or ending whether you are talking about one sandwich, two plates, or a dozen bowls.
Learn هناك طبقان اثنان وشطيرة واحدة and more in Arabic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free