Question 1

Why is the feminine form بضعة used here instead of the masculine بضع?

Accepted Answer

The word for 'a few' follows the same gender-reversal rules as the numbers 3 to 10. You must look at the singular form of the noun being counted. The singular of طوابع (stamps) is طابع, which is masculine. Therefore, the quantifier takes the opposite gender, using the feminine form بضعة.

Question 2

Since بضعة acts as the first part of an Idafa (possession construction), shouldn't the following noun طوابع take a kasra?

Accepted Answer

It is grammatically in the genitive case, but طوابع is a diptote (a category of words that cannot take tanween and use a fatha instead of a kasra in the genitive). Because it follows a specific plural pattern, its genitive marker here is a fatha, making it طوابعَ.

Question 3

If طوابع ends with a fatha, why does its adjective ثمينة take the regular genitive ending (kasratayn)?

Accepted Answer

Adjectives agree with the grammatical case of the noun they modify, not its physical vowel marker. Because طوابع is grammatically genitive (as the second part of the Idafa), its adjective must also be genitive. Since ثمينة is a standard word and not a diptote, it shows the genitive case normally with kasratayn (ثمينةٍ).

Question 4

Why is the adjective ثمينة in the feminine singular form when it describes a plural noun?

Accepted Answer

In Modern Standard Arabic, all non-human plurals are treated grammatically as feminine singular. Since طوابع refers to inanimate objects (stamps), any adjective modifying it, like ثمينة, must take the feminine singular form.

وضعت بضعة طوابع ثمينة في الحافظة.

Breakdown of وضعت بضعة طوابع ثمينة في الحافظة.

Questions & Answers about وضعت بضعة طوابع ثمينة في الحافظة.

Learn وضعت بضعة طوابع ثمينة في الحافظة and more in Arabic