When we talk about two people or two things in Arabic, we use a special form called 'dual'. Unlike English, where 'they' is used for two or more, Arabic has a specific pronoun for exactly two. This makes it really clear who or what you're referring to.
For masculine or feminine dual subjects, you'll use the pronoun هُما. This is a super handy word to know because it's always the same, whether you're talking about two boys, two girls, or one of each!
When we talk about two people or two things in Arabic, we use a special form called the dual. This is different from English, where we just say "they" whether it's two or twenty. For two people or things, you'll use "هُما" (humaa). It works for both males and females, so you don't have to worry about gender agreement here. It's a handy pronoun to know as you move beyond the basics.
When we want to speak about two people or two things in Arabic, we use the dual form. Unlike English, where 'they' can refer to two or more, Arabic has a specific pronoun for two people: هُما. This pronoun is really useful because it works for both males and females.
For example, if you're talking about two friends, whether they are both boys, both girls, or one boy and one girl, you'd use هُما. It simplifies things a lot because you don't have to worry about gender agreement as much as with other pronouns when referring to two individuals.
§ Don't Confuse Dual with Plural
One of the most frequent errors learners make with هُمَا (humaa) is using it when they should be using a plural pronoun. In Arabic, there's a distinct grammatical category for dual, which refers specifically to two people or two things. This is different from English, where 'they' can refer to two or more. If you're talking about three or more people, you need to use the plural pronoun for 'they,' which is هُمْ (hum) for males or mixed groups, and هُنَّ (hunna) for females.
§ Using هُمَا for Objects
While هُمَا can be used for two people (male or female), it is also used for two non-human objects or animals. English speakers sometimes get confused because 'they' in English can also refer to objects, but the dual form in Arabic is very specific. So, if you're talking about two books, two cars, or two cats, you'd use هُمَا. However, if you're referring to three or more non-human objects, the rule changes. For inanimate objects or animals, the plural is treated as feminine singular in many contexts. This is a more advanced topic, but it's important to know that the dual rule for two objects remains consistent with هُمَا.
الكتابان هما جديدان.
- Hint
- The two books, they are new.
§ Forgetting Verb Agreement
When using هُمَا as the subject of a sentence, the verb that follows must also be in the dual form. This is crucial for grammatical correctness in Arabic. Unlike English where the verb form for 'they' is often the same as 'we' or 'you' (e.g., 'they go'), Arabic verbs have specific conjugations for dual subjects. This means the verb will change its ending to agree with the dual pronoun.
هما يذهبان إلى المدرسة.
- Hint
- They (two) go to school.
Notice the 'ان' (aan) ending on the verb يذهبان (yadh'habaan), which indicates the dual form. If you used a singular verb form here, it would be incorrect.
§ Overlooking Gender Neutrality of هُمَا
هُمَا is quite convenient because it's gender-neutral for duals. This means you don't have to worry about whether the two people you're referring to are male, female, or one of each. It's always هُمَا. However, sometimes learners might instinctively try to find a male-only or female-only dual pronoun, influenced by their native language. Remember, for two, it's always هُمَا, regardless of gender. This simplifies things, so embrace this neutrality!
الطالبان هما مجتهدان.
- Hint
- The two male students, they are diligent.
الطالبتان هما مجتهدتان.
- Hint
- The two female students, they are diligent.
As you can see, هُمَا stays the same even though the nouns (students) change gender. The adjectives and verbs, however, will reflect the gender of the dual noun.
§ Not Practicing the Dual Form
The dual form is a unique aspect of Arabic grammar that doesn't have a direct equivalent in English in the same way. Because of this, it can feel unnatural at first. The biggest mistake is not practicing it enough. If you only focus on singular and plural, you'll miss out on a fundamental part of Arabic. Actively look for opportunities to use the dual form, not just with pronouns but also with nouns and verbs.
Practice sentences using two people: 'They (two) went to the market.'
Practice sentences using two objects: 'They (two books) are on the table.'
Engage in conversations where you intentionally refer to two things or people using the dual.
Consistent practice will make the dual form, and specifically the use of هُمَا, feel much more natural and intuitive. Don't be afraid to make mistakes; that's how you learn!
Examples by Level
هما صديقان جيدان.
They (two) are good friends.
هُما for two friends, male or mixed gender.
هما طالبتان مجتهدتان.
They (two) are diligent students.
هُما for two female students.
هما يعيشان في القاهرة.
They (two) live in Cairo.
هُما with a dual verb.
هما يتحدثان العربية بطلاقة.
They (two) speak Arabic fluently.
هُما with a dual verb.
هل هما هنا؟
Are they (two) here?
Question with هُما.
هما يحبان القراءة.
They (two) love reading.
هُما with a dual verb.
هما يعملان في نفس الشركة.
They (two) work in the same company.
هُما with a dual verb.
هما ذهبا إلى السوق.
They (two) went to the market.
هُما with a dual past tense verb.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Talking about two people you just met.
- هُما صَديقان. (They are two friends.)
- هُما مِن مِصر. (They are from Egypt.)
- هُما يتحدثان العربية. (They both speak Arabic.)
Describing two objects.
- هُما قَلَمان. (They are two pens.)
- هُما كبيران. (They are both big.)
- هُما على الطاولة. (They are both on the table.)
Asking about two people or things.
- أين هُما؟ (Where are they both?)
- ماذا يفعلان هُما؟ (What are they both doing?)
- هل هُما هنا؟ (Are they both here?)
Referring to two family members.
- هُما أخي وأختي. (They are my brother and sister.)
- هُما سعيدان. (They are both happy.)
- هُما يحبان السفر. (They both love to travel.)
Discussing two non-human entities (e.g., animals, concepts).
- هُما قطتان. (They are two cats.)
- هُما مهمان. (They are both important.)
- هُما متشابهان. (They are both similar.)
Conversation Starters
"أهلاً، هل تعرف هُما؟ (Hello, do you know them both?)"
"رأيت صديقين، هل هُما أصدقاؤك؟ (I saw two friends, are they both your friends?)"
"ماذا يعمل هُما؟ (What do they both do for work?)"
"أين يقضي هُما عطلتهما عادةً؟ (Where do they both usually spend their holidays?)"
"هل هُما مهتمان بتعلم اللغة العربية؟ (Are they both interested in learning Arabic?)"
Journal Prompts
Write about two people you know and use 'هُما' to describe them.
Describe two items you use daily, using 'هُما' in your sentences.
Imagine you are introducing two new friends to someone. Write the conversation using 'هُما'.
Reflect on two goals you have. How are 'هُما' similar or different?
Write about a memorable experience involving two people. How did 'هُما' contribute to it?
Test Yourself 60 questions
___ طَالِبَانِ. (They are two students.)
To say 'they' for two people in Arabic, we use 'هما'.
أين الكتابان؟ ___ على الطاولة. (Where are the two books? They are on the table.)
When referring to two non-human objects, 'هما' is also used for 'they'.
أختي وأخي، ___ يحبّان القهوة. (My sister and my brother, they both love coffee.)
When referring to two people (male and female), 'هما' is used for 'they'.
صديقاي، ___ يلعبان كرة القدم. (My two friends, they play football.)
For two male friends, 'هما' is the correct pronoun for 'they'.
المعلمان، ___ يشرحان الدرس. (The two teachers, they explain the lesson.)
'هما' is used for two teachers (male or female) when saying 'they'.
البنتان، ___ تدرسان بجد. (The two girls, they study hard.)
For two female individuals, 'هما' is the pronoun for 'they'.
They are friends.
Are they here?
They are teachers.
Read this aloud:
هما أخوان.
Focus: هُمَا
You said:
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Read this aloud:
أين هما؟
Focus: أين هُمَا
You said:
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Read this aloud:
هما سعيدان.
Focus: هُمَا سَعِيدَان
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Write a short sentence using 'هما' to say 'They are friends.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
هما أصدقاء.
Translate: 'They (two women) are students.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
هما طالبتان.
Use 'هما' in a sentence to say 'They (two people) are happy.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
هما سعيدان.
ماذا يفعل الولدان؟ (What are the two boys doing?)
Read this passage:
هذان ولدان. هما يلعبان في الحديقة.
ماذا يفعل الولدان؟ (What are the two boys doing?)
The passage says 'هما يلعبان في الحديقة' which means 'They are playing in the garden.'
The passage says 'هما يلعبان في الحديقة' which means 'They are playing in the garden.'
ما العلاقة بين البنتين؟ (What is the relationship between the two girls?)
Read this passage:
هاتان بنتان. هما صديقتان.
ما العلاقة بين البنتين؟ (What is the relationship between the two girls?)
The passage states 'هما صديقتان' which means 'They are friends.'
The passage states 'هما صديقتان' which means 'They are friends.'
أين أبي وأمي؟ (Where are my father and mother?)
Read this passage:
أبي وأمي في البيت. هما يشاهدان التلفاز.
أين أبي وأمي؟ (Where are my father and mother?)
The first sentence 'أبي وأمي في البيت' tells us they are at home.
The first sentence 'أبي وأمي في البيت' tells us they are at home.
___ صديقان مقربان. (They are close friends.)
The sentence refers to two friends, so the dual pronoun 'هما' (they dual) is appropriate.
أين ___ الكتب التي اشتريتها؟ (Where are the two books you bought?)
The noun 'الكتب' is followed by 'التي اشتريتها' indicating two books, requiring the dual pronoun 'هما'.
المعلمان شرحا الدرس، ___ بارعان في عملهما. (The two teachers explained the lesson, they are skilled in their work.)
The sentence discusses two teachers, making 'هما' the correct dual pronoun.
الوالدان سافرا أمس، و___ سيعودان غدًا. (The two parents traveled yesterday, and they will return tomorrow.)
Referring to 'الوالدان' (two parents) requires the dual pronoun 'هما'.
الطالبتان تدرسان بجد، و___ تأملان النجاح. (The two female students study hard, and they hope for success.)
The sentence is about 'الطالبتان' (two female students), so 'هما' is the correct dual pronoun.
أحب قراءة القصص، وخاصة إذا كانت عن شخصيتين، مثل ___ الأبطال الذين أنقذوا المدينة. (I love reading stories, especially if they are about two characters, like the two heroes who saved the city.)
The sentence explicitly mentions 'شخصيتين' (two characters) and 'الأبطال' (heroes, referring to two in context), thus 'هما' is the appropriate dual pronoun.
Which of the following sentences correctly uses 'هما' to refer to two female doctors?
'هما' is used for dual (two) for both masculine and feminine. 'طبيبتان' means two female doctors.
Choose the correct sentence: 'They (two, M) are students.'
'هما' is used for dual (two) for both masculine and feminine. 'طالبان' means two male students.
Which word would you use to refer to two friends (one male, one female)?
'هما' is the correct pronoun for two people, regardless of gender.
'هما' can be used to talk about two boys.
'هما' is the dual pronoun for both masculine and feminine.
The pronoun 'هما' is only used for two females.
'هما' is used for two people, regardless of their gender.
You would use 'هما' to refer to three people.
'هما' is specifically for two people (dual). For three or more, a plural pronoun would be used.
Write a short sentence describing two friends arriving at a café using the pronoun 'هما'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
صديقان وصلا إلى المقهى وهما يجلسان الآن.
Imagine two students studying together. Write a sentence saying what they are doing, using 'هما'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
طالبان يدرسان معاً في المكتبة، وهما يحضران للامتحان.
Describe two doctors working in a hospital using 'هما'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
طبيبان يعملان في المستشفى، وهما يعتنيان بالمرضى.
أين يعمل أحمد ومريم الآن؟
Read this passage:
أحمد ومريم هما أخوان. درسا معاً في نفس الجامعة. الآن هما يعملان في نفس الشركة، لكن في أقسام مختلفة. هما يسافران كثيراً للعمل.
أين يعمل أحمد ومريم الآن؟
النص يقول: 'الآن هما يعملان في نفس الشركة'. (The text says: 'Now they work in the same company.')
النص يقول: 'الآن هما يعملان في نفس الشركة'. (The text says: 'Now they work in the same company.')
كيف كان شعور الطفلين بعد اللعب؟
Read this passage:
لعب الطفلان في الحديقة. كانا سعيدين جداً. بعد ذلك، ذهبا إلى المنزل وهما متعبان. ناما مباشرة.
كيف كان شعور الطفلين بعد اللعب؟
النص يقول: 'بعد ذلك، ذهبا إلى المنزل وهما متعبان.' (The text says: 'After that, they went home, and they were tired.')
النص يقول: 'بعد ذلك، ذهبا إلى المنزل وهما متعبان.' (The text says: 'After that, they went home, and they were tired.')
ماذا يفعل المهندسان كل صباح؟
Read this passage:
المهندسان يخططان لمشروع جديد. هما يجتمعان كل صباح لمناقشة التفاصيل. المشروع كبير جداً ويتطلب الكثير من الجهد منهما.
ماذا يفعل المهندسان كل صباح؟
النص يقول: 'هما يجتمعان كل صباح لمناقشة التفاصيل.' (The text says: 'They meet every morning to discuss the details.')
النص يقول: 'هما يجتمعان كل صباح لمناقشة التفاصيل.' (The text says: 'They meet every morning to discuss the details.')
They are old friends.
They (dual) work in the same company.
They (dual) love reading.
Read this aloud:
هما يذهبان إلى المدرسة كل يوم.
Focus: هما
You said:
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Read this aloud:
هما سافرا إلى القاهرة الأسبوع الماضي.
Focus: هما
You said:
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Read this aloud:
هل هما يتحدثان العربية بطلاقة؟
Focus: هما يتحدثان
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Which sentence correctly uses 'هما' to refer to two female doctors?
'هما' is used for dual, and 'طبيبتان ماهرتان' is the correct dual feminine form for 'two skillful doctors'.
Choose the correct sentence: Two students (male) are studying in the library.
'هما' is for dual. 'طالبان' is the dual masculine for 'students', and 'يدرسان' is the correct dual masculine verb form.
Which sentence correctly refers to two friends (one male, one female)?
When referring to a mixed gender dual group, the masculine dual form is typically used in Arabic. 'صديقان' is the dual masculine form for 'friends'.
The sentence 'هما معلمان جديدان' means 'They (two teachers, male) are new teachers'.
'هما' refers to two, 'معلمان' is the dual masculine for teachers, and 'جديدان' is the dual masculine for new.
You can use 'هما' to refer to three people.
'هما' is strictly used for two people (dual). For three or more, the plural 'هم' (masculine or mixed) or 'هن' (feminine) is used.
The sentence 'هما تذهبان إلى السوق' correctly uses 'هما' to refer to two females going to the market.
'هما' is dual. 'تذهبان' is the correct dual feminine verb conjugation for 'they go'.
العالمانِ اللذان اكتشفا الدواء الجديد ___ مشهوران.
The sentence refers to two scientists (العالمانِ) who are famous (مشهوران), requiring the dual pronoun 'هما'.
المهندستانِ اللتان صممتا المشروع ___ ذكيتان جداً.
The sentence is about two female engineers (المهندستانِ) who are very intelligent (ذكيتان), thus 'هما' is the correct dual pronoun.
الوالدانِ اللذان ربيا أبناءهما على القيم النبيلة ___ فخوران بإنجازاتهم.
The sentence discusses two parents (الوالدانِ) who are proud (فخوران) of their children's achievements, necessitating the dual pronoun 'هما'.
الطالبانِ اللذان نجحا في الاختبار الصعب ___ يستحقان التكريم.
The sentence refers to two students (الطالبانِ) who passed a difficult test and deserve honor (يستحقان التكريم), requiring the dual pronoun 'هما'.
المترجمتانِ اللتان عملا على الوثيقة الهامة ___ محترفتان للغاية.
The sentence is about two female translators (المترجمتانِ) who worked on an important document and are very professional (محترفتان), thus 'هما' is the correct dual pronoun.
الصديقانِ اللذان سافرا حول العالم ___ لديهما الكثير من القصص ليروياها.
The sentence talks about two friends (الصديقانِ) who traveled around the world and have many stories to tell (لديهما الكثير من القصص), requiring the dual pronoun 'هما'.
Which sentence correctly uses the dual pronoun هُما?
هُما (they, dual) must be followed by a dual noun and adjective, here طالبتان مجتهدتان (two diligent female students).
Choose the sentence where هُما refers to two distinct entities.
هُما (they, dual) explicitly refers to 'the man and the woman', two distinct individuals. The other options use plural nouns where 'هما' is part of a larger plural context but not strictly dual referring to two individuals in this specific way.
In the sentence: 'هُما يقفان على قمة الجبل.' (They are standing on the mountain peak.), what does هُما refer to?
هُما is the dual pronoun in Arabic and can refer to two males, two females, or a male and a female.
The pronoun هُما can be used for a group of three people.
هُما specifically refers to two people (dual), not three or more.
If you are talking about two female doctors, you can use the pronoun هُما.
هُما is the dual pronoun and can be used for two females.
The sentence 'هُما يعملون بجدّ' is grammatically correct.
The verb form 'يعملون' is for plural (they, three or more), not dual (two). For dual, it should be 'يعملان'.
/ 60 correct
Perfect score!
Related Content
More general words
عادةً
A1Usually, normally; under normal conditions.
عادةً ما
B2Usually, as a general rule.
إعداد
B2The action or process of preparing something; preparation.
عاضد
B2To support, to assist, to aid.
عادي
A1Normal, ordinary.
عاقبة
B1A result or effect of an action or condition, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.
أعلى
A1Up, higher.
عال
B1High or loud.
عالٍ
A2High, loud (describes elevation or volume).
عَالَمِيّ
B1Relating to the whole world; worldwide or global.
