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Counting in Arabic

Language overview

Arabic language (Al-ʻarabiyyah, ‫ )ﺍﻟﻌََﺭِﺑﻳﱠﺔ‬is a Central Semitic language


from the Afro-Asiatic family. Official or co-official language in 26
countries, it is spoken by about 422 million people. It is also the liturgical
language of Islam. Its Modern Standard Arabic form, derived from
Classical Arabic, is a lingua franca as it encompasses many dialectal
varieties. Arabic is written for right to left in an abjad, a writing system
where each symbol stands for a consonant.

Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 1,000,000 in Arabic. Please contact me if you
can help me counting up from that limit.

Arabic numbers list

1 – ١ wahid ( ‫)ﻭﺍﺣﺩ‬ ‫)ﻋﺷﺭ‬ ‫)ﻋﺷﺭ‬


2 – ٢ ithnan (‫)ﺇﺛﻧﺎﻥ‬ 13 – ١٣ thalatha ‘ashar ( ‫ﺛﻼﺛﺔ‬ ‫)ﻋﺷﺭﻭﻥ‬
20 – ٢٠ ‘ishrun (
3 – ٣ thalatha (‫)ﺛﻼﺛﺔ‬ ‫)ﻋﺷﺭ‬ 30 – ٣٠ thalathun (‫)ﺛﻼﺛﻭﻥ‬
4 – ٤ arba’a (‫)ﺃﺭﺑﻊ‬ 14 – ١٤ arba’a ‘ashar (‫ﺍﺭﺑﻌﺔ‬ 40 – ٤٠ arba’un (‫)ﺃﺭﺑﻌﻭﻥ‬
5 – ٥ khamsa (‫)ﺧﻣﺳﺔ‬ ‫)ﻋﺷﺭ‬ 50 – ٥٠ khamsun (‫)ﺧﻣﺳﻭﻥ‬
6 – ٦ sitta (‫)ﺳﺗﺔ‬ 15 – ١٥ khamsa ‘ashar (‫ ﺧﻣﺳﺔ‬60 – ٦٠ sittun (‫)ﺳﺗﻭﻥ‬
7 – ٧ sab’a (‫)ﺳﺑﻌﺔ‬ ‫)ﻋﺷﺭ‬ 70 – ٧٠ sab’un (‫)ﺳﺑﻌﻭﻥ‬
8 – ٨ thamaniya (‫)ﺛﻣﺎﻧﻳﺔ‬ 16 – ١٦ sitta ‘ashar (‫ﺳﺗﺔ‬ 80 – ٨٠ thamanun (‫)ﺛﻣﺎﻧﻭﻥ‬
9 – ٩ tis’a (‫)ﺗﺳﻌﺔ‬ ‫)ﻋﺷﺭ‬ 90 – ٩٠ tis’un (‫)ﺗﺳﻌﻭﻥ‬
10 – ١٠ ‘ashra (‫)ﻋﺷﺭﺓ‬ 17 – ١٧ sab’a ‘ashar (‫ﺳﺑﻌﺔ‬ 100 – ١٠٠ mi’a (‫)ﻣﺋﺔ‬
11 – ١١ ahada ‘ashar (‫ﺍﺣﺩ‬ ‫)ﻋﺷﺭ‬ 1,000 – ١٠٠٠ alf (‫)ﺃﻟﻑ‬
‫)ﻋﺷﺭ‬ 18 – ١٨ thamaniya ‘ashar one million – malioun (‫)ﻣِﻠﻳُﻭﻥ‬
ْ َ
12 – ١٢ ithna ‘ashar (‫ﺍﺛﻧﺎ‬ (‫)ﺛﻣﺎﻧﻳﺔ ﻋﺷﺭ‬ one billion – maliâr (‫)ﻣِﻠﻳﺎﺭ‬
َ َ
19 – ١٩ tis’a ‘ashar (‫ﺗﺳﻌﺔ‬

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Arabic numerals

What is commonly known as “Arabic numerals”, and more rarely Hindu–Arabic numerals, is the set of
characters or graphemes which represent the digits 0 to 9, as well as the positional decimal system
attached to it. Those digits, invented in India around the IIIrd century BC, have transited within the
Arab civilization from the IXth century before arriving in Europe in the Xth century. In the Mashreq
countries, that is to say mainly Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine, the Hindu numerals are
used in conjunction with Western numerals.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Arabic numbering rules

Digits from zero to nine are specific words, namely sifr ( ‫ﺻْﻔٌﺭ‬ ِ ) [0], wahid (‫ﺍﺣٌﺩ‬ ِ ‫[ )َﻭ‬1], ithnan
(‫[ )ِﺍﺛْﻧَﺎﻥ‬2], thalatha (ٌ ‫ﻼﺛ َﺔ‬َ َ ‫[ )ﺛ‬3], arba’a (‫[ )ﺃ َْﺭﺑٌَﻊ‬4], khamsa (ٌ‫ﺳﺔ‬
ِ َ ‫[ )َﺧْﻣ‬5], sitta (ٌ‫[ )ِﺳﺗ ﱠﺔ‬6], sab’a
(ٌ ‫[ )ﺳْﺑﻌﺔ‬7], thamaniya (ٌ ‫ﺎﻧﻳﺔ‬
َ َ َ ِ ‫[ )ﺛ ََﻣ‬8], and tis’a (ٌ‫[)ِﺗْﺳﻌَﺔ‬9].
The tens are based on the root of the digit names, suffixed by un (‫)ﻭﻥ‬, except for ten: ‘ashra
(ٌ ‫ﺷﺭﺓ‬
ََ ‫ﻋ‬
َ ) [10], ‘ishrun (‫ﻭﻥ‬ َ ‫[ )ِﻋْﺷُﺭ‬20], thalathun (‫ﻭﻥ‬ َ ُ ‫[ )ﺛ َ َﻼﺛ‬30], arba’un (‫ﻭﻥ‬َ ُ‫[ )ﺃ َْﺭﺑَﻌ‬40],
khamsun (‫ﻭﻥ‬ َ ‫ﺳ‬ ُ ‫[ )َﺧْﻣ‬50], sittun (‫ﻭﻥ‬ َ ‫[ )ِﺳﺗ ﱡ‬60], sab’un (‫ﻭﻥ‬ َ ُ‫ﺳْﺑﻌ‬ َ ) [70], thamanun (‫ﻭﻥ‬ َ ُ‫[ )ﺛ ََﻣﺎﻧ‬80],
and tis’un (‫ﻥ‬ َ ‫[ )ﺗ َْﺳﻌَْﻭ‬90].
From eleven to nineteen, compound numbers are formed by stating the unit, then a form of the
word for ten: ahada ‘ashar ( ‫ﺷٍﺭ‬ َ ‫[ ) ِﺇْﺣَﺩﻯ‬11], ithna ‘ashar (‫ﺷٌﺭ‬
َ ‫ﻋ‬ َ ‫[ )ِﺍﺛْﻧَﺎ‬12], thalatha ‘ashar
َ ‫ﻋ‬
(‫ﺷﺭ‬
ََ ‫ﻋ‬َ َ‫[ )ﺛ َ َﻼﺛ َﺔ‬13], arba’a ‘ashar (‫ﺷَﺭ‬ َ َ‫[ )ﺃ َْﺭﺑَﻌَﺔ‬14], khamsa ‘ashar (‫ﺷَﺭ‬
َ ‫ﻋ‬ َ َ‫ﺳﺔ‬
َ ‫ﻋ‬ َ ‫[ )َﺧْﻣ‬15], sitta
‘ashar (‫ﺷﺭ‬
ََ ‫ﻋ‬ َ َ‫[ )ِﺳﺗ ﱠﺔ‬16], sab’a ‘ashar (‫ﺷَﺭ‬ َ َ‫ﺳْﺑﻌَﺔ‬
َ ‫ﻋ‬ َ ) [17], thamaniya ‘ashar (‫ﺷَﺭ‬ َ ‫ﻋ‬َ َ‫)ﺛ ََﻣِﺎﻧﻳَﺔ‬
[18], and tis’a ‘ashar (‫ﺷﺭ‬
َ َ‫[ )ِﺗْﺳَﻌﺔ‬19].
ََ ‫ﻋ‬
Above twenty-one, compound numbers are formed by stating the unit then the ten, linked with the
and word connector (wa-, ‫)َﻭ‬. Hence we get: thalatha wa-khamsun (‫ﻭﻥ‬ َ ‫ﺳ‬ ُ ‫[ )ﺛ َ َﻼﺛ َﺔُ َﻭ َﺧْﻣ‬53],
sab’a wa-tis’un (‫ﻥ‬ َ ‫ﺳْﺑﻌَﺔُ َﻭ ﺗ َْﺳﻌَْﻭ‬
َ ) [97].
Hundreds are formed by stating the multiplier digit before the word for hundred, except for one
hundred itself: mi’a (ٌ ‫ﻣﺋ َﺔ‬
ِ َ ‫[ )ِﻣﺎﺋ َﺗ‬200], thalatha mi’a (َ‫[ )ﺛ َ َﻼﺛ َﺔَ ِﻣﺋ َﺔ‬300],
ِ ) [100], ithnan mi’a (‫ﺎﻥ‬
arba’a mi’a (َ‫ﻣﺋ َﺔ‬ ِ َ‫[ )ﺃ َْﺭﺑَﻌَﺔ‬400], khamsa mi’a (َ‫ﺳﺔَ ِﻣﺋ َﺔ‬ َ ‫[ )َﺧْﻣ‬500], sitta mi’a (َ‫[ )ِﺳﺗ ﱠﺔَ ِﻣﺋ َﺔ‬600],
sab’a mi’a (َ‫ﻣﺋ َﺔ‬ ِ َ‫ﺳْﺑﻌَﺔ‬ َ ) [700], thamaniya mi’a (َ‫[ )ﺛ ََﻣِﺎﻧﻳَﺔَ ِﻣﺋَﺔ‬800], and tis’a mi’a (َ‫)ِﺗْﺳﻌَﺔَ ِﻣﺋ َﺔ‬
[900].
The word for thousand is alf (‫)ﺃ َْﻟﻑ‬. Two thousand is using the dual form of thousand: alfain
ٌ
(‫[ )ﺃ َْﻟﻔَْﻳﻥ‬2,000]. Above two thousand, the plural form of thousand is used: thalatha alaaf (ُ ‫ﻼﺛ َﺔ‬ َ َ‫ﺛ‬
ِ
‫ﻑ‬ٍ ‫[ )ﺁ َﻻ‬3,000], arba’a alaaf (‫ﻑ‬ ٍ ‫[ )ﺃﺭﺑَﻌﺔ ﺁ َﻻ‬4,000], khamsa alaaf (‫ﺳﺔُ ﺃَﻻﻑ‬ َ ‫[ )َﺧْﻣ‬5,000], sitta
alaaf (‫ﺳﺗ ﱠﺔ ُ ﺃ َﻻﻑ‬ ِ ) [6,000], sab’a alaaf (‫ﺳْﺑﻌَﺔُ ﺃ َﻻﻑ‬ َ ) [7,000], thamaniya alaaf (‫)ﺛ ََﻣِﺎﻧﻳَﺔُ ﺃ َﻻﻑ‬
[8,000], and tis’a alaaf (‫ﺗﺴﻌﺔ ﺃ َﻻﻑ‬ ِ ) [9,000]. 6
The word for million is malioun (‫[ )ﻣِﻠﻳُﻭﻥ‬1 million, 10 ], and the word for billion is maliâr (‫)ﻣِﻠﻳﺎﺭ‬
9
ْ َ َ َ
[1 billion, 10 ].

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Write a number in full in Arabic

Enter a number and get it written in full in Arabic.


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Books

In English In Spanish In French

Oxford Arabic Dictionary


by Karin C. Ryding, editors Oxford University Press (2014)
[ Amazon.com, Kindle - Amazon.com]

A Reference Grammar of Modern Standard Arabic


editors Cambridge University Press (2005)
[ Amazon.com]

Arabic Voices 1: Authentic Listening and Reading Practice in Modern Standard Arabic and
Colloquial Dialects
by Matthew Aldrich, editors Lingualism (2014)
[ Amazon.com, Kindle - Amazon.com]

Articles

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Semitic languages

Amharic, Arabic, and Maltese.

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