Breakdown of على الطاولة قائمتان اثنتان.
طاولةtâwilatun
table
على'ala
on / of (evidence of) / to (lie to someone) / for (difficult for someone)
اثنتانithnatâni
two
قائمةqâ'ima
menu / list
Questions & Answers about على الطاولة قائمتان اثنتان.
The word قائمتان already means "two menus", so why do we add اثنتان (two) after it?
In Arabic, the dual form of a noun (like قائمتان) is usually enough on its own to mean "two". However, you can add the number two (اثنتان) right after it as an adjective for extra emphasis. It is the equivalent of saying "two menus, exactly two."
Why is the number two written as اثنتان instead of اثنان?
The numbers 1 and 2 act like adjectives in Arabic, meaning they must match the gender of the noun they describe. The singular word for "menu" is قائمة, which is feminine. Therefore, we must use the feminine word for two, which is اثنتان.
How does the spelling of "menu" change when we make it dual here?
The singular form is قائمة, which ends with a taa marbuta (ة). Whenever you add the dual suffix ـان (-aan) to a word like this, that tied taa marbuta has to "open up" into a regular taa (ت) so it can connect to the next letter. That is why قائمة becomes قائمتان.
Why does the sentence start with "on the table" (على الطاولة) instead of "two menus"?
Arabic does not have a direct translation for the phrase "there is" or "there are". Instead, when you want to say "there are [undefined things] in [a location]", you simply put the location phrase first. So, placing على الطاولة (on the table) at the beginning creates that "there are" meaning. Literally, it translates to: "On the table (are) two menus."
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