โ† All Egyptian Arabic grammar

A1 ยท Egyptian Arabic grammar

The Dual in Egyptian Arabic: How to Say "Two" of Something

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Arabic has a special form for exactly two of something: the dual. In Egyptian it's the ending -een.

Making the dual

Add -een to the singular.

  • ูƒุชุงุจ โ† ูƒุชุงุจูŠู†kitaab โ†’ kitabeena book โ†’ two books
  • ูŠูˆู… โ† ูŠูˆู…ูŠู†yoom โ†’ yomeena day โ†’ two days

Feminine nouns ending in -a use -teen:

  • ุนุฑุจูŠุฉ โ† ุนุฑุจูŠุชูŠู†3arabiyya โ†’ 3arabiyteena car โ†’ two cars
  • ุณู†ุฉ โ† ุณู†ุชูŠู†sana โ†’ santeena year โ†’ two years
  • ู…ุฑุฉ โ† ู…ุฑุชูŠู†marra โ†’ marrateenonce โ†’ twice

Don't add the number 2

The dual already means "two", so you don't say itneen kitaab. If you want to stress "two", put itneen after the noun:

  • ุนุงูŠุฒ ูƒุชุงุจูŠู†3aayiz kitabeenI want two books.
  • ุนุงูŠุฒ ูƒุชุงุจูŠู† ุงุชู†ูŠู† ุจุณ3aayiz kitabeen itneen bassI want just two books.

Words that go with a dual

Adjectives and demonstratives after a dual noun are plural.

  • ุงู„ูˆู„ุฏูŠู† ุฏูˆู„il-waladeen doolthese two boys

Related

Plurals

Sound plurals with endings, and "broken" plurals that change shape.

Counting things: 11 and up

Why "30 apple" is correct Arabic: which noun form follows each number.