Lesson 19 – الدَّرْسُ التَّاسِعَ عَشَرَ

Number phrase (with one and two)-الْمُرَكَّبُ الْعَدَدِيُّ (مَعَ وَاحِدٍ وَاثْنَيْنِ)

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  • In this section we will learn the use of first two numbers in Arabic, In-Shā’-Allâh (God Willing).
  • In Arabic language the phrase comprising of a number and a noun following that number is called a Number Phrase i.e., الْمُرَكَّبُ الْعَدَدِيُّ
  • The number is called /ξadad/ i.e., الْعَدَدُ and the noun describing that number is called /Maξdūd/ الْمَعْدُودُ i.e., the noun that the number is counting.
  • The number phrase for number "one" and "two" are treated as an Adjective Phrase. We have already learnt the rules for the Adjective Phrase in (Lesson 9 section 2)
  • The nouns for the numbers "one" and "two" always precede the number i.e., they come before the number, and the number following them is treated as an adjective of these nouns, i.e..: the number will take the same case as the noun and it will take the same gender.
  • Let us take some examples:
  • In Arabic the numbers (one and two) i.e., وَاحِدٌ - اثْنَانِ are usually omitted and the single or the dual form is considered to be sufficient to suggest the meaning of (one and two) i.e., in order to say one glass it is sufficient to say كَأْسٌ, and in order to say two glasses it is sufficient to say كَأْسَانِ.   However the words وَاحِدٌ - اِثْنَانِ  are used for emphasis.
  • Let’s take some examples to understand this rule:

Picture

Translation

Arabic

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One pen is on my desk

عَلَى مَكْتَبِي قَلَمٌ وَاحِدٌ.

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I saw one soldier

رَأَيْتُ جُنْدِيًّا وَاحِدًا.

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Ali sat on one chair

جَلَسَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ وَاحِدٍ.

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These are two brothers

هَذَانِ أَخَوَانِ اثْنَانِ.

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I visited two friends

زُرْتُ صَدِيْقَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ.

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I stood on two desks

وَقَفْتُ عَلَى مَكْتَبَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ.