Breakdown of عندنا اثنتان وأربعون دباسة في الجرد تماما.
الal
the
وwa
and
فيfî
in / about, regarding
ناnâ
our / us (object) / we (subject suffix on past verb)
عند'inda
at / to have
اثنتانithnatâni
two
أربعونarba'ûna
forty
تماماtamâman
exactly / completely
دباسةdabbâsa
the stapler
جردjard
the inventory
Questions & Answers about عندنا اثنتان وأربعون دباسة في الجرد تماما.
Why do we use اثنتان instead of اثنان?
For compound numbers from 21 to 99, the ones digit follows specific gender rules. The numbers 1 and 2 must match the gender of the noun being counted. Since دباسة (stapler) is feminine, the feminine word for two, اثنتان, is used.
Why is the word for forty written as أربعون rather than أربعين?
The number is the subject of this sentence, even though it comes after عندنا (we have). Subjects take the nominative case. For multiples of ten (20-90), the nominative case ends in -ون (-un), so we use أربعون. If it were the object of a verb, it would be أربعين.
Why is دباسة singular when the English translation says "staplers"?
This is a strict rule in Arabic: any noun counted by a number from 11 to 99 must be singular and in the accusative case. So instead of the plural دباسات, we must use the singular دباسة.
How does the word تماما work in this sentence?
تماما acts as an adverb meaning "exactly" or "completely". Adverbs in Arabic generally take the accusative case, which is why it ends with an alif and two fathas (pronounced tamaman). It is usually placed at the end of the sentence to emphasize the exact quantity.
Learn عندنا اثنتان وأربعون دباسة في الجرد تماما 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