Arabic Numbers 3-10: The Gender Flip Rule
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
For numbers 3-10, the number's gender must be the exact opposite of the singular noun's gender.
- Identify the singular form of the noun: 'pen' (qalam) is masculine.
- If the noun is masculine, use the feminine form of the number (e.g., thalathat aqlam).
- If the noun is feminine, use the masculine form of the number (e.g., thalathu sa'at).
Overview
Arabic numbers ثلاثة (thalāthah) through عشرة (ʿasharah), when counting nouns, exhibit a phenomenon known as gender polarity or reverse agreement. This means the grammatical gender of the number (masculine or feminine) will be the opposite of the grammatical gender of the noun being counted. This rule is a cornerstone of Arabic numerical grammar at the B1 level and reflects a distinct linguistic structure compared to numbers 1, 2, and those beyond 10.
Historically, this inverse agreement likely stems from an ancient Semitic linguistic convention where numbers 3-10 were often treated as collective feminine nouns. Consequently, the items being counted would then grammatically differentiate themselves by taking the masculine form, or vice-versa, creating this counter-intuitive agreement pattern. Mastering this rule is crucial for accurate and authentic Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) expression, distinguishing an intermediate learner from a novice.
How This Grammar Works
جُمُوع التَّكْسِير, jumūʿ at-taksīr), where the plural form does not necessarily retain the gender indicators of its singular, potentially leading to misidentification.كِتَاب (kitāb – book) is masculine. Its plural is كُتُب (kutub – books). When counting books, you refer to the singular كِتَاب as masculine, thus requiring the feminine form of the number.سَيَّارَة (sayyārah – car) is feminine (indicated by the تَاء مَرْبُوطَة – tāʾ marbūṭah ة). Its plural is سَيَّارَات (sayyārāt – cars). When counting cars, the singular سَيَّارَة dictates the use of the masculine form of the number.إِضَافَة (iḍāfah) construction, commonly translated as a "genitive annexation" or "possessive phrase." In this structure, the number acts as the مُضَاف (muḍāf – first term), and the noun being counted acts as the مُضَاف إِلَيْه (muḍāf ilayh – second term). Consequently, the counted noun must always be in the plural form and in the genitive case (مَجْرُور, majrūr). It must also remain indefinite (without الـ, al- prefix) unless the entire iḍāfah phrase is made definite through other means.أَرْبَعَةُ رِجَالٍ (arbaʿatu rijālin – four men). The number أَرْبَعَة (feminine) opposes the singular رَجُل (rajul – man, masculine). The noun رِجَالٍ is the plural of رَجُل, and it is in the genitive case.ثَلَاثُ نِسَاءٍ (thalāthu nisāʾin – three women). The number ثَلَاث (masculine) opposes the singular امْرَأَة (imraʾah – woman, feminine). The noun نِسَاءٍ is the plural of امْرَأَة, and it is in the genitive case.Formation Pattern
كُتُب (kutub).
كُتُب is كِتَاب (kitāb).
كِتَاب is masculine, as it lacks the ة (tāʾ marbūṭah) and refers to an inanimate object without inherent natural gender that would supersede grammatical gender.
كِتَاب, you must use the feminine form of the number seven, which is سَبْعَة (sabʿah).
ـٍ or ـَينِ for the sound masculine plural, but typically ـٍ for broken plurals). For كُتُب, this would be كُتُبٍ (kutubin).
سَبْعَةُ كُتُبٍ (sabʿatu kutubin).
ثَلَاث (thalāth) | ثَلَاثَة (thalāthah) |
أَرْبَع (arbaʿ) | أَرْبَعَة (arbaʿah) |
خَمْس (khams) | خَمْسَة (khamsah) |
سِتّ (sitt) | سِتَّة (sittah) |
سَبْع (sabʿ) | سَبْعَة (sabʿah) |
ثَمَانٍ (thamānin) or ثَمَانِي (thamānī) | ثَمَانِيَة (thamāniyah) |
تِسْع (tisʿ) | تِسْعَة (tisʿah) |
عَشْر (ʿashar) | عَشَرَة (ʿasharah) |
ثَمَانِي (thamānī) when counting feminine singular nouns is a اسْم مَنْقُوص (ism manqūṣ – defective noun). This means its final ي (yāʾ) is dropped in the nominative and genitive cases when indefinite, appearing as ثَمَانٍ (thamānin), and the نون (nūn) is vocalized with a kasra tanwin. In the accusative case, it retains the ي and takes a fatḥah, ثَمَانِيَ (thamāniya). When definite, or مُضَاف to a definite noun, the ي is always present. For B1 learners, understanding the form ثَمَانٍ is important for passive recognition, while ثَمَانِيَة for masculine nouns remains straightforward.
Gender & Agreement
رَجُل – man is masculine, امْرَأَة – woman is feminine).تَاء مَرْبُوطَة (ة) at the end of a singular noun almost invariably signifies it as feminine (e.g., مَدْرَسَة – madrasah, school; كَلِمَة – kalimah, word).ة). If the singular noun is feminine, the number 3-10 will take its masculine form (without ة).قَلَم – qalam, pen):- Singular:
قَلَم(masculine) - Number needed (e.g., five):
خَمْسَة(feminine) - Plural of
قَلَم:أَقْلَام(aqlām) - Construction:
خَمْسَةُ أَقْلَامٍ(khamsatu aqlāmin – five pens).
خَمْسَةُ is the مُضَاف (nominative case, as it's the subject) and أَقْلَامٍ is the مُضَاف إِلَيْه (genitive case).صُورَة – ṣūrah, picture):- Singular:
صُورَة(feminine) - Number needed (e.g., three):
ثَلَاث(masculine) - Plural of
صُورَة:صُوَر(ṣuwar) - Construction:
ثَلَاثُ صُوَرٍ(thalāthu ṣuwarin – three pictures).
ثَلَاثُ is the مُضَاف (nominative case) and صُوَرٍ is the مُضَاف إِلَيْه (genitive case).iḍāfah structure is key to understanding why the counted noun is plural and genitive, a consequence of the number acting as a governing term.When To Use It
- Counting objects:
عَشَرَةُ كُتُبٍ(ʿasharatu kutubin – ten books),سِتُّ سَيَّارَاتٍ(sittu sayyārātin – six cars). - Quantifying people:
أَرْبَعَةُ طُلَّابٍ(arbaʿatu ṭullābin – four male students),خَمْسُ طَالِبَاتٍ(khamsu ṭālibātin – five female students). - Specifying time units:
ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ(thalāthatu ayyāmin – three days),سَبْعُ سَاعَاتٍ(sabʿu sāʿātin – seven hours). - Referring to abstract concepts:
ثَمَانِيَةُ مَبَادِئَ(thamāniyatu mabādiʾa – eight principles),تِسْعُ خُطُوَاتٍ(tisʿu khuṭuwātin – nine steps).
- Numbers 1 and 2: These numbers function as adjectives. They agree in gender with the noun and typically follow it. For example,
كِتَابٌ وَاحِدٌ(kitābun wāḥidun – one book, masc-masc) andسَيَّارَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ(sayyāratun wāḥidah – one car, fem-fem). For two,كِتَابَانِ اثْنَانِ(kitābāni ithnāni – two books, masc-masc) andسَيَّارَتَانِ اثْنَتَانِ(sayyāratāni ithnatāni – two cars, fem-fem). - Numbers 11-19: These compound numbers have their own rules. The noun counted by 11-99 is always singular and in the accusative case (
مَنْصُوب, manṣūb). The unit part (1-9) of the number still observes gender agreement with the noun for 1-2, and reverse agreement for 3-9, whileعَشَرَ(ʿashara) generally agrees with the noun. For instance,أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كِتَابًا(aḥada ʿashara kitāban – eleven books) orثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ كِتَابًا(thalāthata ʿashara kitāban – thirteen books).
Common Mistakes
- 1Misidentifying Noun Gender from Plural Forms: This is arguably the most frequent mistake. Arabic broken plurals (
جُمُوع التَّكْسِير) can be deceptive. For instance,جُنَيْهَات(junayhāt – pounds, currency) appears feminine due to the finalـَاتending. However, its singular,جُنَيْه(junayh), is masculine. Therefore, to say "five pounds," you must use the feminine form of five:خَمْسَةُ جُنَيْهَاتٍ(khamsatu junayhāt – five pounds), notخَمْسُ جُنَيْهَاتٍ. Always revert to the singular noun to verify its gender. - 2Incorrect
إِضَافَة(Idafa) Construction: Forgetting that the counted noun must be plural, indefinite, and in the genitive case. Common errors include:
- Using a singular noun:
ثَلَاثَةُ كِتَابٍ(incorrect) instead ofثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ. - Making the noun definite:
أَرْبَعَةُ الْكُتُبِ(incorrect) instead ofأَرْبَعَةُ كُتُبٍ. Theمُضَاف إِلَيْهin this specific numeraliḍāfahtypically remains indefinite. - Incorrect case ending:
خَمْسَةُ كُتُبٌ(incorrect, nominative) orخَمْسَةُ كُتُبًا(incorrect, accusative) instead ofخَمْسَةُ كُتُبٍ(genitive).
- 1Applying the Gender Flip to Numbers 1 or 2: Numbers 1 and 2 follow standard adjectival agreement rules, where they match the noun's gender and typically follow it. Confusing this with the 3-10 rule leads to errors like
وَاحِدَةُ كِتَابٍ(incorrect, should beكِتَابٌ وَاحِدٌ). - 2Neglecting the Case of the Number Itself: While the noun is always genitive, the number (as the
مُضَاف) will take its case ending based on its grammatical function in the sentence (nominativeـُ, accusativeـَ, or genitiveـِ). For example,رَأَيْتُ ثَلَاثَةَ رِجَالٍ(raʾaytu thalāthata rijālin – I saw three men), whereثَلَاثَةَis in the accusative case because it's the direct object. - 3Mismanaging Number 8 (ثماني/ثمانٍ): The defective noun behavior of
ثَمَانِي(thamānī) can be challenging. Learners often forget to drop theيand useنtanwin in the indefinite nominative/genitive cases when counting feminine nouns. For instance,ثَمَانٍ بَنَاتٍ(thamānin banātin – eight girls) instead ofثَمَانِي بَنَاتٍ(incorrect).
iḍāfah structure will mitigate most of these common errors.Common Collocations
- Time:
ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ(thalāthatu ayyāmin – three days) -يَوْم(masc) ->ثَلَاثَة(fem)أَرْبَعُ سَاعَاتٍ(arbaʿu sāʿātin – four hours) -سَاعَة(fem) ->أَرْبَع(masc)خَمْسَةُ أَشْهُرٍ(khamsatu ashhurin – five months) -شَهْر(masc) ->خَمْسَة(fem)سِتُّ دَقَائِقَ(sittu daqāʾiqa – six minutes) -دَقِيقَة(fem) ->سِتّ(masc)سَبْعُ سَنَوَاتٍ(sabʿu sanawātin – seven years) -سَنَة(fem) ->سَبْع(masc)- People:
ثَلَاثَةُ رِجَالٍ(thalāthatu rijālin – three men) -رَجُل(masc) ->ثَلَاثَة(fem)أَرْبَعُ نِسَاءٍ(arbaʿu nisāʾin – four women) -امْرَأَة(fem) ->أَرْبَع(masc)خَمْسَةُ أَطْفَالٍ(khamsatu aṭfālin – five children) -طِفْل(masc) ->خَمْسَة(fem)سَبْعَةُ طُلَّابٍ(sabʿatu ṭullābin – seven male students) -طَالِب(masc) ->سَبْعَة(fem)- Objects/Concepts:
ثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ(thalāthatu kutubin – three books) -كِتَاب(masc) ->ثَلَاثَة(fem)أَرْبَعُ قِصَصٍ(arbaʿu qiṣaṣin – four stories) -قِصَّة(fem) ->أَرْبَع(masc)خَمْسَةُ مَبَانٍ(khamsatu mabānin – five buildings) -مَبْنًى(masc) ->خَمْسَة(fem)عَشَرَةُ أَقْلَامٍ(ʿasharatu aqlāmin – ten pens) -قَلَم(masc) ->عَشَرَة(fem)عَشْرُ جَامِعَاتٍ(ʿashru jāmiʿātin – ten universities) -جَامِعَة(fem) ->عَشْر(masc)
Real Conversations
While the gender flip rule for numbers 3-10 is strictly observed in formal written and spoken Modern Standard Arabic, its application in everyday casual conversations and various Arabic dialects (العَامِّيَّة, al-ʿāmmiyyah) can vary significantly. In many dialects, the gender distinction for numbers is often simplified or completely dropped, with a single form of the number used irrespective of the noun's gender, or with numbers directly modifying nouns without the iḍāfah structure.
However, for university students and young professionals learning Arabic, a strong command of MSA is essential for academic pursuits, professional communication, and understanding media across the Arab world. Even if a native speaker in a casual setting might simplify, using correct MSA numerical forms will always be understood and is a mark of high proficiency. Consider these examples:
1. Formal Written/Professional Context (MSA):
- Email: عَزِيزِي مُدِيرُ الْمَشْرُوعِ، لَقَدْ تَمَّ الْعَمَلُ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ تَقَارِيرَ حَتَّى الْآنَ.
(ʿazīzī mudīru al-mashrūʿi, laqad tamma al-ʿamalu ʿalā thalāthati taqārīra ḥattā al-āna.)
"Dear Project Manager, three reports have been worked on so far."
(تَقْرِير – taqrīr, report, masculine singular → ثَلَاثَة – feminine number. تَقَارِيرَ is plural genitive by a different rule for non-diptotes, but ثَلَاثَةِ is genitive due to عَلَى.)
- News Report: تَلَقَّتِ الشَّرِكَةُ خَمْسَةَ عُقُودٍ جَدِيدَةٍ هَذَا الْعَامَ.
(talaqqati ash-sharīkatu khamsata ʿuqūdin jadīdatihn hādhā al-ʿāma.)
"The company received five new contracts this year."
(عَقْد – ʿaqd, contract, masculine singular → خَمْسَةَ – feminine number, accusative as direct object.)
2. Everyday Formal/Educational Context (MSA):
- Teacher to Students: لَدَيْنَا سِتُّ طَالِبَاتٍ وَأَرْبَعَةُ طُلَّابٍ فِي الصَّفِّ الْجَدِيدِ.
(ladaynā sittu ṭālibātin wa arbaʿatu ṭullābin fī aṣ-ṣaffi al-jadīdi.)
"We have six female students and four male students in the new class."
(طَالِبَة – ṭālibah, female student, feminine singular → سِتُّ – masculine number. طَالِب – ṭālib, male student, masculine singular → أَرْبَعَةُ – feminine number.)
- Traveler asking for directions: هَلْ يُمْكِنُكَ أَنْ تُخْبِرَنِي بِكَمْ تَبْعُدُ الْمَحَطَّةُ؟ خَمْسُ دَقَائِقَ سَيْرًا عَلَى الْأَقْدَامِ؟
(hal yumkinuka an tukhbiranī bikam tabʿudu al-maḥaṭṭatu? khamsu daqāʾiqa sayran ʿalā al-aqdāmi?)
"Can you tell me how far the station is? Five minutes walking?"
(دَقِيقَة – daqīqah, minute, feminine singular → خَمْسُ – masculine number.)
While conversational Arabic might abbreviate or simplify, the educated speaker, especially in more formal or written exchanges, will consistently apply these rules. Understanding this distinction allows you to adapt your language according to the social and communicative context.
Quick FAQ
ثَلَاثَة meaning "a group of three"). When such a collective feminine noun governs the items being counted (which themselves would be masculine), a form of polarity arises to differentiate the governor from the governed.عَشَرَة/عَشْر) always follow the gender flip rule?عَشَرَة or عَشْر is used as a standalone number (i.e., not as part of a compound number like 13 or 14), it strictly follows the gender flip rule. For example, عَشَرَةُ كُتُبٍ (ʿasharatu kutubin – ten books) where كِتَاب (masculine) dictates عَشَرَة (feminine), and عَشْرُ سَيَّارَاتٍ (ʿashru sayyārātin – ten cars) where سَيَّارَة (feminine) dictates عَشْر (masculine). However, when عَشَرَ is part of a compound number (11-19), its behavior changes, and it typically agrees in gender with the noun, while the unit part (3-9) still flips.تَاء مَرْبُوطَة (ة), it is almost certainly feminine. If it does not, it is generally masculine, unless it refers to a naturally feminine being.العَامِّيَّة)?Number Gender Agreement Table
| Number | Masculine Noun Form | Feminine Noun Form |
|---|---|---|
|
3
|
ثلاثةُ (Thalathatu)
|
ثلاثُ (Thalathu)
|
|
4
|
أربعةُ (Arba'atu)
|
أربعُ (Arba'u)
|
|
5
|
خمسةُ (Khamsatu)
|
خمسُ (Khamsu)
|
|
6
|
ستةُ (Sittatu)
|
ستُ (Sittu)
|
|
7
|
سبعةُ (Sab'atu)
|
سبعُ (Sab'u)
|
|
8
|
ثمانيةُ (Thamaniatu)
|
ثماني (Thamani)
|
|
9
|
تسعةُ (Tis'atu)
|
تسعُ (Tis'u)
|
|
10
|
عشرةُ (Ashratu)
|
عشرُ (Ashru)
|
Meanings
This rule governs the grammatical agreement between cardinal numbers 3-10 and the nouns they quantify, requiring gender polarity.
Cardinal Counting
Used when counting specific items or people.
“خمسةُ أقلامٍ (khamsatu aqlam) - Five pens.”
“أربعُ سياراتٍ (arba'u sayarat) - Four cars.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Number + Noun(pl)
|
ثلاثةُ أقلامٍ
|
|
Negative
|
لا يوجد + Number + Noun(pl)
|
لا يوجدُ ثلاثةُ أقلامٍ
|
|
Question
|
كم + Noun(pl) + ...?
|
كم قلماً لديك؟
|
|
Short Answer
|
Number + Noun(pl)
|
خمسةُ أقلامٍ
|
Formality Spectrum
لديَّ ثلاثةُ أقلامٍ. (General)
عندي ثلاثةُ أقلامٍ. (General)
معي ثلاثةُ أقلامٍ. (General)
عندي تلاتة أقلام. (General)
The Gender Flip Logic
Masculine Noun
- أقلام pens
Feminine Number
- ثلاثة three
Examples by Level
ثلاثةُ أقلامٍ
Three pens
أربعُ بناتٍ
Four girls
خمسةُ كتبٍ
Five books
ستُ تفاحاتٍ
Six apples
سبعةُ أولادٍ
Seven boys
ثماني سياراتٍ
Eight cars
تسعةُ رجالٍ
Nine men
عشرُ نساءٍ
Ten women
اشتريتُ خمسةَ أقلامٍ زرقاءَ.
I bought five blue pens.
رأيتُ أربعَ طالباتٍ في المكتبةِ.
I saw four female students in the library.
لديَّ ستةُ إخوةٍ.
I have six brothers.
أكلتُ سبعَ تفاحاتٍ.
I ate seven apples.
تستغرقُ الرحلةُ ثمانيَ ساعاتٍ.
The trip takes eight hours.
هناك تسعةُ أساتذةٍ في الاجتماعِ.
There are nine professors in the meeting.
عشرةُ أيامٍ كافيةٌ للراحةِ.
Ten days are enough for rest.
قرأتُ ثلاثَ قصصٍ قصيرةٍ.
I read three short stories.
استغرقتْ كتابةُ التقريرِ أربعةَ أيامٍ.
Writing the report took four days.
تضمُّ الجامعةُ خمسَ كلياتٍ علميةٍ.
The university includes five scientific faculties.
يوجدُ ستةُ مكاتبَ في الطابقِ.
There are six offices on the floor.
عشرُ طائراتٍ حطتْ في المطارِ.
Ten planes landed at the airport.
تتطلبُ المهمةُ سبعةَ مهندسينَ.
The task requires seven engineers.
ثلاثُ سياراتٍ إسعافٍ وصلتْ فوراً.
Three ambulances arrived immediately.
ثمانيةُ فصولٍ دراسيةٍ تمَّ تجديدُها.
Eight classrooms have been renovated.
تسعُ شركاتٍ عالميةٍ شاركتْ في المعرضِ.
Nine global companies participated in the exhibition.
Easily Confused
Learners try to use the flip rule for 1 and 2, but they actually agree in gender.
These have their own complex rules and don't follow the 3-10 flip.
Learners often use the singular noun after 3-10.
Common Mistakes
ثلاثُ أقلام
ثلاثةُ أقلام
ثلاثةُ قلم
ثلاثةُ أقلام
ثلاثةُ أقلاماً
ثلاثةُ أقلامٍ
ثلاثةُ طالبة
ثلاثُ طالبات
أربعةُ سيارات
أربعُ سيارات
أربعُ سيارة
أربعُ سيارات
أربعُ سياراتٍ
أربعُ سياراتٍ
خمسةُ طالبات
خمسُ طالبات
خمسُ طلاب
خمسةُ طلاب
خمسةُ طالباتٍ
خمسُ طالباتٍ
ثمانيُ ساعات
ثماني ساعات
ثمانيةُ ساعات
ثماني ساعات
ثماني ساعاتٍ
ثماني ساعاتٍ
Sentence Patterns
لديَّ ___ ___.
اشتريتُ ___ ___ من السوق.
استغرقتْ الرحلةُ ___ ___.
يوجدُ في الغرفةِ ___ ___.
Real World Usage
أريدُ ثلاثَ تفاحاتٍ.
لدينا خمسةُ أسئلةٍ.
جبتلك 3 أقلام.
لديَّ أربعُ سنواتِ خبرةٍ.
أحتاجُ تذكرتينِ وثلاثَ حقائبَ.
أريدُ أربعةَ طلباتِ بيتزا.
Memorize the singular
Don't forget the plural
Use the ta-marbuta as a guide
Dialect vs Fusha
Smart Tips
Always pause and think: is the singular noun masculine or feminine?
Write the singular noun first, then the number.
Practice the most common nouns (pen, book, car, student) until the gender is automatic.
Learn the gender along with the noun.
Pronunciation
Ta-marbuta
The 'ة' is pronounced as 't' when followed by a noun in a construct state.
Statement
ثلاثةُ أقلامٍ ↓
Falling intonation for declarative sentences.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'Opposites Attract'. If the noun is a boy, the number must be a girl (add ta-marbuta).
Visual Association
Imagine a seesaw. On one side is the noun, on the other is the number. When the noun is heavy (masculine), the number must be light (feminine) to balance it.
Rhyme
Noun is boy, number gets a toy (ta-marbuta). Noun is girl, number is plain as a pearl.
Story
Ahmed went to the shop. He wanted 3 pens (masculine). He asked for 'thalathat aqlam'. Then he wanted 3 watches (feminine). He asked for 'thalathu sa'at'. He kept flipping the gender all day long.
Word Web
Challenge
Count 5 items in your room right now using the correct gender flip.
Cultural Notes
In many dialects, the gender flip rule is often ignored in casual speech, but it is strictly maintained in formal media.
Formal usage is preferred in business and government settings.
Colloquial speech often simplifies numbers.
The gender polarity in Arabic numerals is an ancient Semitic feature, found in languages like Hebrew and Ge'ez.
Conversation Starters
كم أخاً لديك؟
كم ساعةً تدرسُ في اليوم؟
كم كتاباً قرأتَ هذا الشهر؟
كم صديقاً ستدعو للحفلة؟
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
لديَّ ___ أقلامٍ.
___ سياراتٍ.
Find and fix the mistake:
خمسةُ سياراتٍ
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Six books
Answer starts with: ستة...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
سبعةُ طلابٍ
ثلاثةُ أقلامٍ -> ?
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesلديَّ ___ أقلامٍ.
___ سياراتٍ.
Find and fix the mistake:
خمسةُ سياراتٍ
أقلامٍ / ثلاثةُ / لديَّ
Six books
Match: 3, 4, 5 with Masculine/Feminine.
سبعةُ طلابٍ
ثلاثةُ أقلامٍ -> ?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesSeven girls (Girl: بنت - Sing: Fem)
في الفريق ___ لاعبينَ. (Player: لاعب - Masc)
ثماني/ثمانية ساعات؟ (Hour: ساعة - Fem)
يوم (Day) is masculine. How do you say 6 days?
درجات - تسع - الحرارة - درجة
Match Masc/Fem logic:
زرتُ ___ مدنٍ. (City: مدينة - Fem)
Pen: قلم (Masc) - Plural: أقلام
Language: لغة (Fem)
She has 3 sisters.
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
Because the number's gender is always the opposite of the noun's gender.
No, only to numbers 3-10.
You should check the singular form in a dictionary.
It is standard in Fusha, but often simplified in dialects.
It is a grammatical requirement for numbers 3-10 in Arabic.
No, 11 has its own rules.
Matching the gender instead of flipping it.
Count items around you and check their gender.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Tres libros
Spanish does not flip gender based on the noun.
Trois livres
French does not use gender polarity for numbers.
Drei Bücher
German does not use gender polarity for numbers.
San-satsu no hon
Japanese uses counters, not gender polarity.
San ben shu
Chinese uses measure words, not gender polarity.
Shlosha sfarim
The specific gender forms differ, but the logic is identical.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Videos
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