Breakdown of المناقصتان كلتاهما جاهزتان الآن.
الآنal-ân
now
جاهزjâhiz
ready
مناقصةmunâqasah
tender
كلتاهماkiltâhumâ
both of them
Questions & Answers about المناقصتان كلتاهما جاهزتان الآن.
Why is كلتاهما used here instead of كلاهما or كلتيهما?
كلتاهما must match the noun it emphasizes in both gender and case. The noun المناقصتان (the two tenders) is feminine, so we need the feminine base كلتا rather than the masculine كلا. It is also in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence, so it keeps the 'alif' spelling for the dual nominative (كلتاهما) instead of changing to the accusative/genitive 'yaa' (كلتيهما).
Why does كلتاهما come after the noun instead of before it?
When dual quantifiers like كلتا have a pronoun attached (like هما), they act as emphatic words (corroboration) and must follow the definite noun they emphasize. If you wanted to put it before the noun, it would drop the pronoun and force the noun into the genitive case, like كلتا المناقصتين (both of the tenders).
Is كلتاهما strictly necessary for this sentence to be grammatically correct?
No, you could completely remove it and say المناقصتان جاهزتان الآن (The two tenders are ready now). Because كلتاهما functions purely as emphasis here, the sentence is grammatically complete without it. It is just added to leave absolutely no doubt that both tenders, not just one, are ready.
Why is the predicate جاهزتان in the dual form when كلتاهما already implies 'both'?
In Arabic, the predicate must match the main subject of the sentence. Since the main subject is المناقصتان (feminine dual), the predicate must also be feminine dual (جاهزتان). The emphatic word كلتاهما doesn't change this basic subject-predicate agreement rule.
Learn المناقصتان كلتاهما جاهزتان الآن 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