lesson 14
Lesson 14: Cardinal Numbers Cardinal Numbers: A cardinal number tells you “how many”. They are referred to as “counting numbers” because they show quantity. For example: twelve cars, three children In the Qur’an, we can find all the cardinal numbers up to twelve, and above that, then the only numbers which involve units are nineteen and ninety-nine (and 309 by periphrasis.). The Qur’an also mentions the tens (twenty, thirty etc) as well as some larger numbers such as 100, 200, 300, 1000, 5000 and 100000 etc. We have already learnt that in Arabic, there are 3 separate noun values: 1. Singular – meaning one of something 2. Dual – meaning specifically two of something 3. Plural – meaning three or more Imagine there are three books which you have read. You might say: I read three books From this statement, we can identify that the counted noun is “books” (counted noun meaning the thing which you are counting) and the number of them is three. Just to confirm we have the right information lets check: How many of the counted noun are there? three Arabic Gems-Lesson 14 Page:1 We will see that when dealing with counted nouns in Arabic, it is important to know what is its grammatical gender in the singular. It is important to remember that grammatical gender in the singular and its plural counterpart can sometimes be different, So lets ask: What is the grammatical gender of the counted noun in the singular? ٌِكتاب It is masculine Next, let us look to see what is the grammatical position of the counted noun in the sentence, so that we can determine its case. What is the grammatical case of the counted noun within the sentence? “books” is the object of the verb “read” therefore, it is صوب ُ َم ْن From this worked example, we have asked 3 questions: 1 2 3 How many of the What is the grammatical What is the grammatical case counted noun are gender of the counted of the counted noun within there? noun in the singular? the sentence? When dealing with sentences using number and a counted noun, the way it will be constructed will be based on the first question “How many are there?”. This is because numbers are divided into different groups, and each group has their own set of rules! Important: Something else to be aware of, is the individual digits which make up a number. For example, number 28 is comprised of 2 separate digits: 20 and 6. Arabic Gems-Lesson 14 Page:2 Number 1 (singular) To express “one sun” all you need to do is use the singular word for sun: ٌَش ْمس Or, for added emphases, you can add the word ٌواحد ِ (meaning “one”) as an adjective. ٌواح َدة ِ ٌَش ْمس Note: ٌ َش ْمسis feminine, therefore the adjectiveٌواحد ِ ٌmust also be feminine. (remember, adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender) ٌواحد ِ feminine by adding taa’marbootah instead of using the feminine ح َدى ْ ِ إlisted in the vocab?ٌاحد -But why have we made In the vocab list we find “one” translated as: إِحْ دَ ى أَ َحد Fem Masc Compound Numbers: A quantity expressed in two or more different but related units. i.e: 11, 34, 103 3 hours and 10 seconds, 5 feet 2 inches. Idiom: An expression that doesn’t carry its literal meaning. i.e: “raining cats and dogs” – meanings raining heavily " – ال أَ َحدno one” أَ َحدand إِحْ دَ ىmean “one” and are used in compound numbers and some idioms only. Therefore, when describing something in the singular “one”, ٌواحد ِ or its feminine counterpart ٌواح َدة ِ are used as normal. Arabic Gems-Lesson 14 Page:3 Number 2 (2 of something) To express 2 of something, then you must use the rule for dual (see lesson 13). So take the counted noun in its singular form, and make dual by ٌان ٌِ ْيwhen مجرورor ِ when مرفوعor adding ن منصوب For example to express two paths, we will take the singular for path س ِبيل َ and make it dual: adding بيالن َس ِ Two paths / ways/roads َس ِبيل path / way / road Similarly, as we did to emphasise “one” of something, by adding the word ٌواحد ِ meaning “one” as an adjective, we can do the same to emphasise two of something: This is done by adding the word ٌ اِ ْثنَا ِنmeaning “two” as an adjective i.e: ٌتان َس ِ َبيالنٌ ْاثن ِ Two paths / ways / roads Note: Adjectives must agree with noun in gender, case, definiteness and number – so make sure matches the noun it is describing. In the case of “two” of something - ٌ ْاثنَتا ِنand نان ِ ا ِْثare already dual – so you do not need to add an extra dual suffix! َس ِبيلalthough does not display taa’marboota, it is a feminine word. Therefore, the feminine ن ٌِ ْاثنَتاhas been used instead of the masculine counterpart نان ِ ا ِْث In this example above, Numbers 3-10 of something This group includes all numbers from 3 to 10 only. To say the number of a given counted noun (i.e: number of noun) 1. Take the singular counted noun and note its gender 2. Make the singular counted noun plural (see lesson 2: plurals) 3. Make it indefinite 4. Make it genitive ( َم ْج ُرورit is going to form an idaafa – because it is going to directly follow a number – which is also a noun, therefore will be in the position of mudaaf ilayhi) 5. Put the number before the counted noun in the opposite gender. 6. The number case will depend on its position in the sentence Arabic Gems-Lesson 14 Page:4 For example, to express “three men” 1. Take singular of men and note grammatical gender ٌَرجُل 2. Make it plural, indefinite and (man) is masculine َم ْج ُرور ٌ( ِرجالmen) 3. Put the number before the counted noun in the opposite gender. – therefore, because ٌ َرجُلis masculine, the number must be feminine. (look at what grammatical position in the sentence the number is to determine its case) Idaafa construction Masculine ٌثَالثَ ٌةُ ِرجال Opposite gender to counted nounFeminine (three men) Note about masculine and feminine numbers In the vocab list, you will notice that masculine numbers actually end with taa’marbootah and feminine numbers without! Numbers 11 and 12 of something This group includes numbers 11 and 12 only. ٌ أَ َح ٌَد َع َش َرeleven ِا ْثنا َع َش َرtwelve Units digit To express 11 of something To express 12 of something Each digit is written separately in Arabic (literally one and ten) (literally two and ten) Tens digit Both digits have to agree in gender with the counted noun and have permanent fathas Both digits agree in gender with the counted noun. changes for case in same permanent fatha way as the dual Counted noun indefinite, singular صوب ُ َم ْن Note: remember although the counted noun is in fact plural, it is written in the singular! *Note: numbers 2-10; we learnt form an idaafa construction with the counted noun, therefore the noun would be majroor. However, here with numbers 11 &12 are no longer an idafa constructions with the noun – instead the counted noun is called tamyeez, which we will learn more about in term 3 in shaa' Allaah, so is mansoob (all counted nouns from 11-99 are mansoob.) Don’t worry about this point in this lesson, just understand its mansoob Arabic Gems-Lesson 14 Page:5 For example: Eleven of something: Permanent fatha on both digits Masculine Counted noun is masculine so both digits agree and are masculine ٌأَ َح ٌَد َع َش ٌَر َك ْو َكبا Indefinite, singular and mansoob Eleven stars Counted noun is feminine so both digits agree and are feminine Feminine ٌإَحْ َدى َع ْش َر ٌةَ َمدينَة Indefinite, singular and mansoob Eleven cities Twelve of something: Permanent fatha on ten Counted noun is feminine so both digits agree and are feminine Is a feminine word ٌاِ ْثنَتا َع ْش َر ٌةَ َعيْنا Indefinite, singular and mansoob Unit (two) Changes case depending on position in sentence Twelve springs Counted noun is masculine So both digits agree and are masculine Masculine ٌي َع َش ٌَر بَيْتا ٌْ َت اِ ْثن ٌُ تَ َر ْك Permanent fatha on ten I left twelve houses Why is the “two” in “twelve” in this example Unit (two) Changes case depending on position in sentence – Here it is the object of the verb -so is mansoob. (see explanation below) ْ ِا ْث َنيand not ? ِا ْثنا ُ تَ َر ْكIs a verb conjugation “I left”. ٌت ْ( ِا ْث َنيas part of ) ا ِْث َنيْ َع َش َرis the object of the verb therefore is صوب ُ – َم ْنso instead of ending ٌ انas it does when it is marfu ( ) ِا ْثنانit ends ْن ٌِ ( يremember ِا ْثنانworks as a dual) –Therefore this means that… ٌي َع َش َر ٌْ َ اِ ْثنis an idaafa, therefore, the final نof اِ ْثنَيْنhas been dropped, leaving us with ٌْ َ( اِ ْثنremember in lesson 7 and 13 we learnt that mudaf sound masc plurals and duals loose final )ٌن ي Because Arabic Gems-Lesson 14 Page:6 Notice the form of “ten” used with feminine nouns: The form of ten used with feminine nouns does not only change with the addition of taa,marbootah. But also notice that above ٌْ شis sukoon, rather than the fatha as is found in the masculine. ََع َش ٌَر َع ْش َر ٌة Numbers 13-19 of something These rules apply to numbers 13-19 only. Units digit Tens digit Counted noun disagrees in gender with the counted noun agrees in gender with the counted noun indefinite, singular Both digits have permanent fathahs, so don’t need to worry about case For example: Ten digit agrees in gender with counted noun, so is also masculine masculine Indefinite, singular and mansoob ٌتِ ْس َعةٌَ َع َش ٌَر َملِكا صوب ُ َم ْن Note: remember although the counted noun is in fact plural, it is written in the singular! Counted noun is masculine – therefore unit digit is opposite so is feminine Nineteen angels Numbers 20, 30, 40 etc Multiple number of ten (ie: 20, 30, 40, 50 etc) Counted noun These numbers are sound masculine plurals, and are used with both genders. indefinite, singular The only thing which will alter with these numbers is case ending صوب ُ َم ْن Note: remember although the counted noun is in fact plural, it is written in the singular! Arabic Gems-Lesson 14 Page:7 For example: ْ ٌين ِمسْكينا ٌَ ّإطعا ُمٌ ِست Indefinite, singular and mansoob The feeding of sixty of the poor Compound numbers ie: 21, 36, 79 etc These rules apply to compound numbers. When expressing compound numbers in Arabic, it is constructed in the same way as the nursery rhyme “four and twenty black birds baked in a pie…”. So for example, to say thirty-two messengers, we would say “two and thirty messengers”. The units will react to gender in the same way as we have learnt for units up to 9 already. So 1 and 2 agree in gender with the counted noun, whereas 3-9 disagree. The “tens” are sound masculine plurals therefore the case for gender does not arise – the same is used for both. Units digit rule Tens digit rule Counted noun 1 and 2 Agrees in gender with the counted noun. Is a sound masculine plural that is used with both genders. Indefinite Singular 3–9 Disagrees in gender with the counted noun Is effected by case depending on grammatical position in sentence All digits 1-9 If digit can normally take tanween, then the tanween must not be dropped. صوب ُ َم ْن Case changes depending of position in the sentence. For example: masculine Indefinite, singular and mansoob َنان وث ٌالثون ِرسول ٌَ ٌِ اِ ْث Digit “2” – agrees in gender with counted noun so is also masculine Thirty-two messengers (Literally: two and thirty messengers) Arabic Gems-Lesson 14 Page:8 Numbers 100, 200 / 1000, 2000 etc With these numbers, the number and the counted noun do form an idaafa. With numbers 100, 200, 1000 and 2000 there is no issue of gender – the same rules apply to these numbers as with numbers 1 and 2 following the singular and the dual. Number Rule 100 1000 Follows pattern for singular: Reflects changes in case, not gender 200 2000 Follows pattern for dual: Reflects changes in case, not gender Counted noun Indefinite Singular َم ْج ُرور ٌألفا رجل Two thousand men 1000 ألفhas been made dual by adding انto make 2000. Because this is mudaf – it looses the final ن ٌِمائ ٌةُ عام One hundred years Constructions such as 300, 500, 8000 etc do not appear in the Qur’an with a counted noun, but rather the word ٌ ِمائَةor ٌ أَ ْلفare treated as the counted noun. ٌثَالثَ ٌةُ آلفٌ من ال َمالئِ َك ِة Three thousand angels منis used here in this example in the Qur’an as periphrasis. – meaning, if we were to say ثَالثَة آلفٌ ال َمالئِ َك ٌِةverbally- we could stress the words THREE THOUSAND in our voice to make it seem like a big number. But as we can not do that in writing, the use of منhelps to emphasise this number instead. – this is why in translation, منis omitted. The Arabic Gems-Lesson 14 Page:9 Lesson 14: Quick revision summary 1- Agrees in gender All you have to do is mention singular counted noun. To add emphasis add case must agree with noun in gender. So if feminine ٌواحد ِ as an adjective – in which ٌواح َدة ِ 2 - Agrees in gender Follows rule for dual – take singular counted noun and make dual. ٌان ِ when مرفوع ٌِ ْيwhen مجرورor منصوب ن 3-10- opposite gender of singular counted noun Number placed before counted noun and forms an idaafa Put singular counted noun into plural, indefinite and Number Case changes ( َم ْج ُرورas is mudaf ilayhi) 11-12- agree in gender All digits take permanent fathas except for the unit “2” of “12” which changes for case same as dual Counted noun is indefinite, singular صوب ُ َم ْن 13-19 Units- opposite gender of counted noun. Tens – agree gender as counted noun Counted noun- indefinite, singular Both digits take permanent fathas صوب ُ َم ْن Whole multiples of 10 (12, 20, 30 etc) Are sound masculine plurals used with both genders. Only case ending that changes. Counted noun is indefinite, singular صوب ُ َم ْن Compound numbers (ie 11, 34 etc) remember “four and twenty blackbirds” Digit 1 & 2 – same rules as singular and dual If takes tanween can not drop it (agree gender as noun) Case changes Digit 3 – 9 – opposite gender of noun Tens – SMP used both genders. Case changes Counted noun- indefinite, singular صوب ُ َم ْن 100, 1000, 200, 2000 – forms idafa with noun 100 & 1000 – follows singular pattern. Case changes. Agrees gender with noun. 200, 2000 – follows dual pattern. Case changes. Agrees gender with noun. Counted noun Indefinite Singular َم ْج ُرور Arabic Gems-Lesson 14 Page:10
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