3
The dual
Arabic A2 · Unit 5
GoalSay “two” of something by adding ـَانِ or ـَيْنِ to the noun.
New words
كِتَابَان (kitābān) · two booksكِتَابَيْن (kitābayn) · two books (after a preposition)وَلَدَان (waladān) · two boysبِنْتَان (bintān) · two girlsمُعَلِّمَتَان (muʿallimatān) · two (female) teachersسَيَّارَتَان (sayyāratān) · two carsعَيْنَان (ʿaynān) · two eyesيَدَان (yadān) · two hands
Explanation
Arabic has a special form for exactly two things: the dual. Add ـَانِ to the noun: كِتَاب becomes كِتَابَان, “two books”. After a preposition, or when the noun is the thing someone reads, use ـَيْنِ: فِي كِتَابَيْن, “in two books”. A ة changes to ت first: سَيَّارَة becomes سَيَّارَتَان. The adjective is dual too: كِتَابَان جَدِيدَان, “two new books”. You do not add the number “two”.
| One | Two (subject) | Two (after a preposition) |
|---|---|---|
| كِتَاب | كِتَابَان | كِتَابَيْن |
| وَلَد | وَلَدَان | وَلَدَيْن |
| سَيَّارَة | سَيَّارَتَان | سَيَّارَتَيْن |
| مُعَلِّمَة | مُعَلِّمَتَان | مُعَلِّمَتَيْن |
Worked examples
Two of everything. Listen and repeat.
Karim
عِنْدِي أَخَوَان وَأُخْتَان.
Salma
وَأَنَا عِنْدِي أَخ وَاحِد.
The dual after a verb or a preposition.
Class activity
Count by twos. Find pairs around you (two shoes, two eyes, two windows, two cups) and say them in the dual. Write six pairs in Arabic. Then write one sentence with an adjective, such as كِتَابَان جَدِيدَان, and check that both words end in ـَان.
Practice
1
Press Listen. Is it one, two or many girls?
Two: طَالِبَتَان (ṭālibatān), “two (female) students”. The ending is ـَتَان.
2
The picture shows two buses. Write “two buses”.
حَافِلَتَان (ḥāfilatān)
3
The picture shows two houses. Write “two houses”.
بَيْتَان (baytān)
4
Which ending do you use after فِي: ـَانِ or ـَيْنِ?
ـَيْنِ, for example فِي كِتَابَيْن.
5
Write the dual of طَاوِلَة (table).
طَاوِلَتَان (ṭāwilatān)