Questions & Answers about أين البنات الأربع؟
Why does the number come after the noun here, instead of before it like in أربع بنات (four girls)?
When counting indefinite nouns with numbers 3-10, the number comes first in an Idafa (possession) structure. However, when the phrase is definite ("the four girls"), the noun comes first with ال attached, and the number follows it as an adjective, also taking ال. This gives us البنات الأربع.
Since البنات (the girls) is feminine, why does the number الأربع look masculine instead of ending with a feminine taa marbuta (الأربعة)?
This relies on Arabic's reverse agreement rule for numbers 3-10. The gender of the number must be the opposite of the gender of the singular noun. The singular بنت (girl) is feminine, so the number takes the masculine form أربع (or الأربع with the definite article). For boys, it would be الأولاد الأربعة.
Even though الأربع acts as an adjective here, why doesn't it take a plural suffix to match البنات?
Numbers 3-10 have fixed forms for masculine and feminine (أربع and أربعة). Even when a number acts as an adjective after a noun, it never takes standard plural adjective endings like ـات or ـون. It strictly follows the reverse gender rule based on the singular noun.
If I were to pronounce this with full case endings (tashkeel), what would the vowels on the final letters be?
It would be أينَ البناتُ الأربعُ؟. The noun البنات is the subject of the sentence, so it takes the nominative case with a damma. Because الأربع acts as an adjective modifying البنات, it copies that nominative case and also ends with a damma.
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