Breakdown of لكم الملاكم خصمه لكمتين.
الal
the
هhu
his / him (object) / it (dummy pronoun after لأن)
خصمkhasm
opponent
لكمlakama
to punch
ملاكمmulâkim
a boxer
لكمةlakma
a punch
Questions & Answers about لكم الملاكم خصمه لكمتين.
How exactly does لكمتين show quantity as a cognate accusative in this sentence?
It comes from the same root as the verb لكم (to punch). To count the action, we use the noun of instance (which represents one single action), لكمة (a punch). Since he punched twice, it takes the dual form and becomes لكمتين (two punches).
Why does لكمتين end in ـين (-ayn) instead of ـان (-aan)?
As a cognate accusative, the word functions as an object and must be in the accusative case (mansub). In Arabic, dual nouns take the suffix ـين in the accusative, so the nominative لكمتان becomes لكمتين.
Are لكم (punched) and الملاكم (the boxer) from the same root?
Yes, they both share the root ل-ك-م. لكم is the Form I verb meaning to punch, while الملاكم is the active participle of the Form III verb لاكم (to box), literally meaning the one who boxes.
How does this structure differ in meaning from just saying لكم الملاكم خصمه مرتين?
Both mean the action happened twice. However, using the cognate accusative لكمتين (two punches) instead of the generic مرتين (two times) is a classic Arabic stylistic choice that sounds more eloquent and strongly emphasizes the specific nature of the action.
Learn لكم الملاكم خصمه لكمتين 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