Numerals#
Objective: By the end of the chapter, you will be able to : • count in Moroccan Arabic • combine numbers with nouns to indicate amounts • ask and answer questions about time When we talk about numerals, we want to be able to do two things. First, we have to be able to count. That is, we have to learn our numbers. Second, we have to be able to use the numbers with objects. In other words, we have to be able to say things like “five apples” or “twenty-seven students” or “one hundred forty-three volunteers.” In English, we never think of these two tasks separately. We simply use a number in combination with the plural form of some object. In Arabic, however, we have to learn how to combine different numbers with objects, sometimes using a plural form, sometimes a singular, sometimes with a letter in between the two, sometimes not. As in all things Arabic, what seems difficult now becomes natural with time. Cardinal Numbers Cardinal numbers refer to the normal numbers we use (one, two, three…). They are different than ordinal numbers (first, second, third…) and fractions (one-half, one-third, one-fourth…). For now, we start with the cardinal numbers. We will work with ordinal numbers and fractions later. Numbers 1 thru 10 In Moroccan Arabic, there are two ways to combine the numbers 3 thru 10 with an object. We some- times use the “full” or normal form of the number, and sometimes we use a “short” form of the number. Here is a table listing the full form of numbers 1 thru 10 and the short form of numbers 3 thru 10. Full Forms mreeD Short Forms one (masc.)wa7dواحدØØone (fem.)w7daوحدةØØtwojujجوجØØthreetlataتالتةTltتلت fourrb3aربعةRbعربع fivekhmsaخمسةKhmsخمس sixsttaستّةSttست ّ sevensb3aسبعةsb3سبع eighttmnyaتمنيةTmnتمن ninets3udتسعودTs3تسع ten3shraعشرةعshrعشرPeace Corps / Morocco • 23 For the numbers 3 thru 10, we combine the full form of a number and a noun like this: number (full form) + d ()د + plural noun with definite article For the numbers 3 thru 10, we combine the short form of a number and a noun like this: number (short form) + plural noun (no definite article) Eight books (using full form)tmnya d l-ktubالكتوب د تمنية Five dirhams (using full form)khmsa d d-drahmالدراهم د خمسة Five dirhams (using short form)khms drahm دراهم خمس The numbers one and two have some special qualities. The number one (wa7d/w7da) differs from all other numbers because in Arabic, it acts like an adjective. This means that it comes after a noun, like other adjectives, and that it must agree in gender with the noun, like other adjectives. one book (book is masc.)ktab wa7dواحد كتاب one girl (girl is fem.)bnt w7daوحدة بنت Sometimes, you may hear waнd (not wнda) used before a noun. In this case, it is not acting as a number, but rather as an indefinite article (like the English “a” or “an”). Don’t worry about it now, just be aware of it. INTERMEDIATE TOPIC a bookwa7d l-ktabالكتاب واحد a girlwa7d l-bntالبنت واحد The number two (juj) can be used as a full or short form with plural nouns. two booksjuj d l-ktub two booksjuj ktub الكتوب د جوج كتوب جوج However, when two is part of a compound number (as in twenty-two), a different form is used. Here, we use the form tnayn (ين)تن. َ This will be shown in the section on numbers from 20 thru 99. Dual noun forms In English, nouns have a singular and a plural form. In Arabic, nouns also have a singular and plural form, but a small number of nouns also have a dual form. The dual form is used for these nouns when we refer to two of something. For nouns that have a dual form, therefore, we don’t use juj. The dual form includes the idea of “two.” The dual form is usually made by adding “ayn” to the end of the singular form. In the following tables, the first three examples have dual forms, but the last two are normal and therefore use their plural form.24 • Moroccan Arabic Singular Form Dual Form dayYumيومyumaynينيوم َ monthSh-hrشهرsh-hraynينشهر َ year3amعام3amaynينعام َ But… Singular Form Plural Form weeksimanaسيمانةjuj d s-simanat minutedqiqaدقيقةjuj dqayq السيمانات د جوج دقايق جوج Numbers 11 thru 19 The numbers 11 thru 19 do not have a short form. Only numbers 3 thru 10 have a short form. Eleven7Dashحضاش TwelveTnaashطناش ThirteentlTashتلطاش Fourteenrb3Tashربعطاش FifteenkhmsTashخمسطاش SixteensTaashاشط ّس Seventeensb3Tashسبعطاش EighteentmnTashتمنطاش Nineteents3Taashتسعطاش For numbers 11 thru 19, we can combine a number and a noun like this: number + r ()ر or l ()ل + singular noun (no definite article) Yes — the singular! In Arabic, the plural form is only used for numbers 2 thru 10. The singular is used for everything else! sixteen yearssTTash r 3amعام ر سطّاش sixteen yearssTTash l 3amعام ل سطّاش eighteen girlstmnTash r bntبنت ر تمنطاش eighteen girlstmnTash l bntبنت ل تمنطاشPeace Corps / Morocco • 25 Numbers 20, 30, 40 … 99 For a multiple of ten (20, 30, 40 etc.) in Arabic, we simply use the name for that number, like in English. For numbers such as 21, 22, or 23, however, it is not like English. In Arabic, the “ones” digit is pronounced first, followed by the word “and,” then followed by the “tens” digit. For example, in Arabic the number 21 is literally “one and twenty” while the number 47 is literally “seven and forty.” Also, remember that for the numbers 22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, and 92, we do not use juj. Rather, we use tnayn. Here is a list of the multiples of ten, with examples of numbers between each multiple: 3shrin Twenty عشرين twenty-one literally: one and twentywa7d u 3shrinعشرين و واحد twenty-two literally: two and twentytnayn u 3shrinعشرين و ينتنَ twenty-three literally: three and twentytlata u 3shrinعشرين و التةت twenty-fourrb3a u 3shrinعشرين و ربعة Remember: “tnayn,” not “juj” Thirty tlatin تالتين thirty-onewaa7d u tlatinتالتين و واحد thirty-twotnayn u tlatinتالتين و ينتنَ thirty-threetlaata u tlatinتالتين و تالتة forty rb3in ربعين forty-onewa7d u rb3inينربع و واحد forty-twotnayn u rb3inربعين و ينتنَ fiftykhmsinخمسين sixtysttinستّين seventysb3inسبعين eightytmaninتمانين ninetyts3inتسعين ninety-nine ts3ud u ts3in تسعين و تسعود For numbers 20 thru 99, we can combine a number and a noun like this: number + singular noun (no definite article) forty-two yearstnayn u rb3in عam ninety dirhamsts3in drhm thirty-eight bookstmnya u tlatin ktab عام ربعين و ينتنَ درهم تسعين كتاب تالتين و تمنية26 • Moroccan Arabic Numbers 100, 200, 300 … 999 The Arabic word for 100 is miya. For 200, there is a dual form of miyatayn. For 300 thru 900, we use the short form of the numbers 3 thru 9 plus miya. For numbers such as 107 or 257, we will use the appropriate multiple of 100 followed by the word “and” and then the rest of the number. Some examples: ـةـيّ م miya one hundred one hundred one literally: one hundred and one one hundred two literally: one hundred and two one hundred ten literally: one hundred and ten one hundred eleven one hundred twenty-one miya u wa7dواحد و ةمي ّ miya u jujجوج و ةمي ّ miya u 3shraعشرة و ةمي ّ miya u 7Dashحضاش و ةمي ّ miya u wa7d u 3shrinعشرين و واحد و ةمي ّ literally: one hundred and two and twentymiya u tnayn u 3shrinعشرين و ينتنَ و ةمي ّ one hundred ninety-ninemiya u ts3ud u ts3inتسعين و تسعود و ةمي ّ literally: one hundred and one and twenty one hundred twenty-two ـتَـيـنـيَّ م miyatayn two hundred two hundred fifty-seven miyatayn u sb3a u khmsin literally: two hundred and seven and fifty tlt miya three hundred three hundred forty-five literally: three hundred and five and forty tlt miya u khmsa u rb3in خمسين و سبعة و ميَّتَين ةمي ّ تلت ربعين و خمسة و ةمي ّ تلت four hundredrb3 miyaةمي ّ ربع five hundredkhms miyaةمي ّ خمس six hundredstt miyaةمي ّ ّ ست seven hundredsb3 miyaةمي ّ سبع eight hundredtmn miyaةمي ّ تمن nine hundredts3 miyaةمي ّ تسع nine hundred ninety-nine ts3 miya u ts3ud u ts3in تسعين و تسعود و ةمي ّ تسع Exact multiples of 100 (100, 300, 400, etc. – not 137 or 278) are combined with a noun like this: number + t ()ت + singular nounPeace Corps / Morocco • 27 four hundred chairsrb3 miyat kursiرسيكُ ةمي ّ ربع six hundred ryalstt miyat ryalلاير ةمي ّ ّ ست But when a number between 100 and 999 is not an exact multiple of 100 (e.g. 167, 492, 504), we combine the number with a noun according to the rule for the final digits of the number. 105 books (use the rule for “5”) 214 books (use the rule for “14”) 657 books (use the rule for “57”) miya u khmsa d l-ktub miyatayn u rb3Tash r ktab stt miya u sb3a u khmsin ktab الكتوب د خمسة و ةمي ّ كتاب ر ربعطاش و ميَّتَين تابك خمسين و سبعة و ةمي ّ ّ ست Exercise: Match the number with the correct Arabic translation. 199miya u ts3ud u rb3in 2ts3ud u sttin 11miya u stta u khmseen 149khmsa u sb3in 137miya u ts3ud u ts3in 757Dash 69miya u sb3a u tlatin 156juj ربعين و تسعود و ةمي َ ستّين و تسعود خمسين و ستّة و ةمي ّ سبعين و خمسة تسعين و تسعود و ةمي ّ حضاش تالتين و سبعة و ةمي ّ جوج Numbers 1000, 2000, 3000 … The word for “thousand” has the singular form alf, the dual form alfayn, and the plural form alaf. The plural form is used with the short form of the numbers 3 thru 10 from “3” thousand to “10” thousand. Then we return to the singular form (like we do for all Arabic nouns). Like the word for “hundred,” it is followed by “and” when the number is not an exact multiple of 1000 (e.g. 1027 or 4738). From 1000 onward: one thousand alf one thousand onealf u wa7d one thousand fifteenalf u khmsTash one thousand three hundred sixty-seven (literally: one thousand and three hundred and seven and sixty) two thousand two thousand twenty-two three thousand alf u tlt miya u sb3a u sttin alfayn alfayn u tnayn u 3shrin tlt alaf ألف واحد و ألف خمسطاش و ألف نستّي و سبعة و ةمي ّ تلت و ألف ألفَين عشرين و ينتنَ و ألفَين أالف تلت28 • Moroccan Arabic three thousand seven hundred and fifty tlt alaf u sb3 miya u khmsin خمسين و ةمي ّ سبع و أالف تلت four thousandrb3 alafأالف ربع five thousandkhms alafأالف خمس six thousandstt alafأالف ست ّ seven thousandsb3 alafأالف سبع eight thousandtmn alafأالف تمن nine thousandts3 alafأالف تسع nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine ts3 alaf u ts3 miya u ts3ud u ts3in تسعين و تسعود و ةمي ّ تسع و أالف تسع ten thousand3shr alafأالف عشر eleven thousand7Dash r alfألف ر حضاش two hundred thousandmiyatayn alfألف ميَّتَين 999,999ts3 miya u ts3ud u ts3in alf u ts3 miya u ts3ud u ts3in تسع و ألف تسعين و تسعود و ةمي ّ تسع تسعين و تسعود و ةمي ّ Exact multiples of 1000 can be combined with nouns in two ways: number + singular noun Or… number + d ()د + plural noun with definite article ولد أالف خمس five thousand boyskhms alaf wld five thousand boyskhms alaf d l-wlad الوالد د أالف مسخ Numbers larger than 1000 that are not exact multiples of 1000 are combined with nouns according to the rules for the final digits, as you saw with numbers that were not exact multiples of 100. Larger Numbers Singular Plural million(s)mlyunمليونmlaynمالين billion(s)mlyarمليارmlayrماليرPeace Corps / Morocco • 29 Exercise: Correctly combine numbers with nouns by filling in the blanks using the following numbers and any necessary letters: 1, 3, 8, 13, 20, 400, or 1000. There may be more than one correct answer for each. 3 d l-bnat(the girls)البنات Dar(house)دار stilu(pen)ستيلو Drahm(dirham)درهم mutaTawwi3(volunteer)عوِّ َتَطمُ rjal(men)رجال ustad(teacher)أُستاد uTil(hotel)أُوطيل magana(watch)مگانة l-3yalat(the women)العياالت د3 Ordinal Numbers / Fractions Ordinal Numbers For numbers 1 thru 12, there is a separate form for cardinal and ordinal numbers. From 13 on there is no difference between the cardinal and ordinal number. Firstl-luwlلاللو ّ Secondt-taniالتاني Thirdt-taltالتالت Fourthr-rab3الرابع Fifthl-khaamsالخامس Sixths-sat / s-saadsSevenths-sab3السابع Eightht-tamnالتامن Nintht-tas3التاسع Tenthl-3ashrالعاشر Eleventhl-7aDshاضشالح TwelfthT-Tanshالطانش السادس / السات30 • Moroccan Arabic Ordinal numbers act like adjectives, and therefore must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Listed are the masculine singular forms. To make the feminine form, add a ()ة to the ordinal number. To make it plural, add in ()ين. first third Masculine l-luwlFeminine l-luwlaPlural l-luwlin اللولاللولةاللولين t-taltt-taltat-taltin التالتالتالتةالتالتين Fractions HalfnSنص Thirdtulutتُلُت Fourthrubu3 / rb3 ربع / عبُرُ Time To express time, we use the demonstrative pronoun hadi and the appropriate number with the definite article (see page 143 for more info on the definite article). This means that for 1:00, 5:00, 10:00, and 11:00, we will use the letter l ()ل before the number, while for the others, we will double the first consonant. onel-w7daالوحدةsevens-sb3aالسبعة twoj-jujالجوجeightt-tmnyaالتمنية threet-tlataالتالتةninet-ts3udالتسعود fourr-rb3aالربعةtenl-3shraالعشرة fivel-khmsaالخمسةelevenl-7Dashالحضاش sixs-sttaالستّةtwelveT-Tnashالطناش Like in English, Arabic uses certain words to express things like “quarter to five,” “half past seven,” etc. beforeQlقلtwenty minutestulutتُلُت andUوhalfnSنص exactlyNishanنيشانquarter tolla rubبرُ ّال quarterrb3ربعfive minutesqSmقصم ten minutesqSmayn ينقصم َPeace Corps / Morocco • 31 Some examples of asking and answering about time: What time is it?sh7al hadi f s-sa3a?؟الساعة ف ديهَ شحال It is exactly one o’clock.hadi l-w7da nishan..نيشان الوحدة ديهَ It is five minutes past two.hadi j-juj u qSm..قصم و الجوج ديهَ It is ten minutes past three.hadi t-tlata u qSmayn.It is a quarter past four.hadi r-rb3a u rb3..ربع و الربعة ديهَ It is twenty minutes past five.hadi l-xmsa u tulut.It is twenty-five minutes past six.hadi s-stta u khmsa u 3shrin..تُلُت و الخمسة ديهَ It is seven thirty.hadi s-sb3a u nS.It is eight thirty-five.hadi tmnya u khmsa u tlatin.It is twenty minutes to nine.hadi t-ts3ud ql tulut..تُلُت قل التسعود ديهَ It is a quarter to ten.hadi l-3shra lla rob..برُ ّال العشرة ديهَ It is ten minutes to elevenhadi l-7Dash ql qSmayn.It is five minutes to twelve.hadi T-Tnash ql qSm..قصم قل الطناش ديهَ 6:30 A.M.s-stta u nS d S-Sba7الصباح د نص و الستّة 5:15 P.M.l-khmsa u rb3 d l-3shiya.العشية د ربع و الخمسة .ينقصم و التالتة ديهَ َ .عشرين و خمسة و الستّة ديهَ .نص و السبعة ديهَ .تالتين و خمسة و التمنية ديهَ .ينقصم قل الحضاش ديهَ َ Exercise: Match the times with the correct Arabic translation. قصم و الوحدة 10:30l-w7da u qSm12:00l-7Dash u qSmayn1:05T-Tnash nishanنيشان الطناش 2:20l-3shra ql tulutتُلُت قل العشرة 11:10l-3shra u nSنص و العشرة 9:40j-juj u tulutتُلُت و الجوج ينقصم و الحضاش َ