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Explore arabic.ba: Your tool for learning Arabic numbers

Numbers in the Arabic language are like solving mathematical equations. But there is good news: a new online tool – which is of great help to learn the rules: arabic.ba

Last updated: 2 months

Applying the correct case endings (and gender) in constructions with numbers in Arabic is tricky even for native speakers.

In this article, I will explain the basic rules of numbers in Arabic and will introduce a new tool which is offered on the website arabic.ba

arabic.ba – A tool to train and learn Arabic numbers

You can learn all the rules by hard. But as soon as you come across a number while reading or speaking, Arabic may feel like an oral exam.

The rules for Arabic numbers must become intuitive, their application playful, like learning multiplication tables – where nobody thinks about it anymore. There is only one method for this: practice.

Check out this new website:

arrabic.ba is a new and great online tool to learn and train numbers.

Why arabic.ba is outstanding

arabic.ba has many useful features:

  • It uses Taskheel (ุชูŽุดู’ูƒููŠู„ูŒ)!
  • You get the correct pronunciation of the entire sentence.
  • You can change the range according to your level: from 1 to 10, 1 to 19, 1 to 99 up to 1 to 999999999.
  • The number and the thing numbered are always shown in red, so they are easily identified within the solution.
  • Offline use – you can download and print exercises.
  • For experts: The number (written in digits) and the numbered things (shown as a picture) are used in a sentence. You have to figure out all by yourself!
screenshot: arabic.ba

Tip: Practice reading on arabic.ba

The website arabic.ba also offers reading exercises! You find unvowelled texts taken from the book ุงูŽู„ู’ุนูŽุฑูŽุจููŠู‘ูŽุฉู ู„ูู„ู†ู‘ูŽุงุดูุฆููŠู†ูŽ – and can then turn some or all vowels on to practice your understanding of grammar and morphology!

screenshot: arabic.ba

Why are numbers difficult in Arabic?

There are many reasons – let’s see some of them.

The grammatical function

Numbers are vague, undefined words (ูƒูŽู„ูู…ุฉูŒ ู…ูุจู’ู‡ูŽู…ุฉูŒ). It is the number (ุนูŽุฏูŽุฏูŒ) that does the job in a sentence and not the actual thing that is counted. That’s not really logical for English speakers.

In Arabic, for example, the number may serve as a direct object (ู…ูŽูู’ุนููˆู„ูŒ ุจูู‡ู), subject (ูุงุนูู„) โ€“ and not the word that is counted (ู…ูŽุนู’ุฏููˆุฏูŒ).

The grammatical nature

In Arabic, numbers are nouns (ุงูุณู’ู…ูŒ). They are triptotes except for the number 8! Therefore, they take case endings.

Watch out: Only when the numerals are used to express abstract numยญbers, they are treated as diptotes (ู…ูŽู…ู’ู†ููˆุนูŒ ู…ูู† ุงู„ุตู‘ูŽุฑู’ูู) like proper nouns. An example:

Six is more than five..ุณูุชูŽู‘ุฉู ุฃูŽูƒู’ุซูŽุฑู ู…ูู† ุฎูŽู…ู’ุณูŽุฉูŽ

The inverted agreement

The system for writing numbers from 3 to 10 is a quite awkward. You have to use the opposite gender of the word to which the number refers (ุงู„ู’ุนูŽุฏูŽุฏู ู…ูุฎุงู„ูููŒ ู„ูู„ู’ู…ูŽุนู’ุฏููˆุฏู). This is called inverted .

  • The feminine form (ู…ูุคูŽู†ูŽู‘ุซูŒ) is used when referring to masculine (ู…ูุฐูŽูƒูŽู‘ุฑูŒ) nouns and vice versa.
  • The gender of the number is determined by the gender of the numbered noun in the singular.
Three men came..ุฌุงุกูŽ ุซูŽู„ุงุซูŽุฉู ุฑูุฌุงู„ู

Note: Numbers from 3 to 10 serve as the first part of a ุฅูุถุงูุฉูŒ; the secยญond part has to be in the plural.

Arabic numbers – the rules

In my book Arabic for Nerds, I have summarized all the most important rules. Here is a comprehensive overview:

Sample page of the book Arabic for Nerds

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Other useful tools:


Note: The feature image was generated by AI and is for illustration purposes only. The Arabic script in the image makes no sense โ€“ so please donโ€™t try to decipher it ;-)

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