Choose your route and revision goal
This is a rich revision chapter rather than a one-period script. Begin with the route that matches your needs, then return to the reference tables, skills studios and games whenever you need extra support.
Core
- Switch between ٠–٩ and 0–9.
- Recognise and say cardinal numbers to 100.
- Use common ordinal numbers.
Develop
- Build compound numbers accurately.
- Apply number–noun agreement for 1–10.
- Use numbers in connected contexts.
Stretch
- Explain gender polarity.
- Apply 11–99 tamyīz patterns.
- Analyse and repair complex errors.
Objectives
- Read and write both Hindi-Arabic digits (٠–٩) and Western digits (0–9) accurately Reading
- Count and recognise cardinal numbers 1–100+ in words and figures Listening
- Use ordinal numbers (first–tenth) to sequence and tell the time Speaking
- Apply the number–noun agreement rules for 1–2 and 3–10 Writing
Success Criteria
- 🟢 I can convert any Hindi-Arabic numeral into Western digits (and back) without hesitation.
- 🟠 I can say and write numbers up to 100 in words, including compound numbers like خَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ.
- 🟧 I can choose the correct gender of the number before a noun (ثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ vs ثَلَاثُ سَيَّارَاتٍ) and explain why.
Two digit systems, one story — الأَرْقَامُ الهِنْدِيَّةُ وَالغَرْبِيَّةُ
Here is a fact that surprises most students: the digits 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 that you use in Maths every day are called Arabic numerals — because Europe learned them from Arab mathematicians like al-Khwārizmī (whose name gave us the word algorithm). Meanwhile, the Arab East uses digits that travelled from India, so in Arabic they are called الأَرْقَامُ الهِنْدِيَّةُ — “the Indian numerals”. Even the English word zero comes from the Arabic صِفْرٌ!
Reference The ten digits side by side
| Western digit | الرَّقْمُ الهِنْدِيُّ | Watch out for… |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | ٠ | Just a dot — easy to miss in small print! |
| 1 | ١ | Looks the same — a gift. |
| 2 | ٢ | Like a backwards 7 with a hook. |
| 3 | ٣ | Like ٢ but with two waves on top. |
| 4 | ٤ | Like a backwards 3 — a classic trap. |
| 5 | ٥ | ⚠️ Looks like a Western 0 — but it is FIVE. |
| 6 | ٦ | ⚠️ Looks like a Western 7 — but it is SIX. |
| 7 | ٧ | Like the letter V. |
| 8 | ٨ | Like an upside-down V (Λ). |
| 9 | ٩ | Very close to Western 9 — another gift. |
✍️ Quiz 1 — Digit Detective Score: 0/5
Think first, then tap to check. Your first choice counts for the score.
Counting 0–10 — مِنْ صِفْرٍ إِلَى عَشَرَةٍ
These eleven words are the foundation of every number you will ever say in Arabic. They also live all around you already: خَمْسَةٌ — the five daily prayers and the Five Pillars; سَبْعَةٌ — the seven verses of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah. Learn these and you have unlocked half the lesson.
Vocabulary The counting numbers — أَسْمَاءُ الأَعْدَادِ
| Figure | الرَّقْمُ | بِالكَلِمَاتِ | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ٠ | صِفْرٌṣifr | zero |
| 1 | ١ | وَاحِدٌwāḥid | one |
| 2 | ٢ | اِثْنَانِithnān | two |
| 3 | ٣ | ثَلَاثَةٌthalāthah | three |
| 4 | ٤ | أَرْبَعَةٌarbaʿah | four |
| 5 | ٥ | خَمْسَةٌkhamsah | five |
| 6 | ٦ | سِتَّةٌsittah | six |
| 7 | ٧ | سَبْعَةٌsabʿah | seven |
| 8 | ٨ | ثَمَانِيَةٌthamāniyah | eight |
| 9 | ٩ | تِسْعَةٌtisʿah | nine |
| 10 | ١٠ | عَشَرَةٌʿasharah | ten |
✍️ Quiz 2 — First Ten Score: 0/6
Pause, retrieve from memory, then answer without looking at the table.
Building 11–100 and beyond — مِنْ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ إِلَى مِائَةٍ
Good news: you do not memorise ninety new words. Arabic numbers are built like LEGO — a handful of pieces, three simple patterns, and you can say any number to a thousand.
Pattern 1 The teens (11–19): unit + عَشَرَ
Just like English “fourteen”, Arabic says the unit first and adds عَشَرَ (“-teen”). Notice how every part ends with a fatḥah — the teens march to a steady drumbeat.
| Figure | الرَّقْمُ | بِالكَلِمَاتِ | Think of it as… |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | ١١ | أَحَدَ عَشَرَ | “one-teen” |
| 12 | ١٢ | اِثْنَا عَشَرَ | “two-teen” |
| 13 | ١٣ | ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ | “three-teen” = thirteen |
| 14 | ١٤ | أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ | fourteen |
| 15 | ١٥ | خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ | fifteen — your age soon! |
| 16 | ١٦ | سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ | sixteen |
| 17 | ١٧ | سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ | seventeen |
| 18 | ١٨ | ثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ | eighteen |
| 19 | ١٩ | تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ | nineteen |
Pattern 2 The tens (20–90): the ـُونَ family
The tens are simply the unit word wearing a ـُونَ uniform (like English “-ty”). Twenty is the only rebel — it borrows from عَشَرَةٌ (ten) instead of two.
| Figure | الرَّقْمُ | بِالكَلِمَاتِ | Built from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | ٢٠ | عِشْرُونَ | عَشَرَةٌ (10) — the rebel! |
| 30 | ٣٠ | ثَلَاثُونَ | ثَلَاثَةٌ (3) |
| 40 | ٤٠ | أَرْبَعُونَ | أَرْبَعَةٌ (4) |
| 50 | ٥٠ | خَمْسُونَ | خَمْسَةٌ (5) |
| 60 | ٦٠ | سِتُّونَ | سِتَّةٌ (6) |
| 70 | ٧٠ | سَبْعُونَ | سَبْعَةٌ (7) |
| 80 | ٨٠ | ثَمَانُونَ | ثَمَانِيَةٌ (8) |
| 90 | ٩٠ | تِسْعُونَ | تِسْعَةٌ (9) |
| 100 | ١٠٠ | مِائَةٌ | written with a silent ا — say mi’ah |
| 1000 | ١٠٠٠ | أَلْفٌ | a bonus for the ambitious! |
Pattern 3 Compound numbers (21–99): units FIRST, then وَ, then tens
This is the pattern that feels most “backwards” to English speakers — Arabic says “five and twenty”, like old English nursery rhymes (four-and-twenty blackbirds…).
25 = خَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ (“five and twenty”) · 31 = وَاحِدٌ وَثَلَاثُونَ · 99 = تِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ · 105 = مِائَةٌ وَخَمْسَةٌ
✍️ Quiz 3 — Number Builder Score: 0/6
🖥️ Screen-share challenge: predict before you tap!
Ordinal numbers — الأَعْدَادُ التَّرْتِيبِيَّةُ
Ordinals put things in order: first, second, third… In Arabic they behave like well-mannered adjectives — they come after the noun and politely match its gender. You already know one without realising: الدَّرْسُ الأَوَّلُ — Lesson One, this very lesson!
Vocabulary First to tenth, masculine and feminine
| English | مَعَ اسْمٍ مُذَكَّرٍ (masc.) | مَعَ اسْمٍ مُؤَنَّثٍ (fem.) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| first | الأَوَّلُ | الأُولَى | الدَّرْسُ الأَوَّلُ / السَّنَةُ الأُولَى |
| second | الثَّانِي | الثَّانِيَةُ | اليَوْمُ الثَّانِي / المَرَّةُ الثَّانِيَةُ |
| third | الثَّالِثُ | الثَّالِثَةُ | الطَّابِقُ الثَّالِثُ (the third floor) |
| fourth | الرَّابِعُ | الرَّابِعَةُ | الصَّفُّ الرَّابِعُ |
| fifth | الخَامِسُ | الخَامِسَةُ | البَابُ الخَامِسُ |
| sixth | السَّادِسُ | السَّادِسَةُ | الشَّهْرُ السَّادِسُ |
| seventh | السَّابِعُ | السَّابِعَةُ | الأُسْبُوعُ السَّابِعُ |
| eighth | الثَّامِنُ | الثَّامِنَةُ | الصَّفْحَةُ الثَّامِنَةُ (page eight) |
| ninth | التَّاسِعُ | التَّاسِعَةُ | الشَّهْرُ التَّاسِعُ — Ramadan, month 9! |
| tenth | العَاشِرُ | العَاشِرَةُ | اليَوْمُ العَاشِرُ |
✍️ Quiz 4 — Order, Order! Score: 0/5
🎙️ Say your answer aloud before tapping — ordinals must be heard.
The Golden Rules of agreement — العَدَدُ وَالمَعْدُودُ
Here is the moment Arabic becomes genuinely fascinating. Most languages make numbers agree with their noun. Arabic, for numbers 3–10, does the exact opposite — a rule so famous it has its own name: reverse gender polarity. Master these two rules and your writing instantly sounds a level above.
Rule 1 Numbers 1 and 2: the loyal followers
The number comes after the noun and matches its gender — exactly like an adjective. In fact, Arabic often doesn’t need the number at all (the noun or its dual form already says it); adding it gives emphasis: “one single book”, “two whole days”.
| Meaning | مُذَكَّر (masc. noun) | مُؤَنَّث (fem. noun) |
|---|---|---|
| one book / one car | كِتَابٌ وَاحِدٌ | سَيَّارَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ |
| two boys / two girls | وَلَدَانِ اثْنَانِ | بِنْتَانِ اثْنَتَانِ |
Rule 2 Numbers 3–10: the great gender flip 🔄
The number comes before the noun, the noun goes into the plural, and the number takes the opposite gender of the noun’s singular form. Masculine noun? The number wears ة. Feminine noun? The number takes the ة off.
The number and the noun always disagree — like magnets, opposites attract! 🧲
| Meaning | الجُمْلَةُ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| three boys | ثَلَاثَةُ أَوْلَادٍ | وَلَدٌ is masc. → number takes ة |
| three girls | ثَلَاثُ بَنَاتٍ | بِنْتٌ is fem. → number drops ة |
| seven days | سَبْعَةُ أَيَّامٍ | يَوْمٌ is masc. → ة on |
| ten minutes | عَشْرُ دَقَائِقَ | دَقِيقَةٌ is fem. → ة off |
| five pounds | خَمْسَةُ جُنَيْهَاتٍ | جُنَيْهٌ is masc. → ة on |
| eight hours | ثَمَانِي سَاعَاتٍ | سَاعَةٌ is fem. → ة off (8 becomes ثَمَانِي before a noun) |
✍️ Quiz 5 — Flip or Follow? Score: 0/6
👥 Team round: shout “FLIP!” for 3–10, “FOLLOW!” for 1–2 — then choose.
One number system, many real-life uses
Numbers do not remain inside one lesson. They become the foundation for time, age, money, measurements and dates.
Lesson 2 · Time
Cardinals and feminine ordinals tell the time.
Lesson 3 · Age
Number agreement changes with the feminine noun سَنَة.
Lesson 4 · Money
Currency nouns reveal the opposite gender pattern.
Lessons 5–6
Fractions, quantities and dates all depend on number mastery.
Read, listen, speak and write with numbers
Reading Information hunt
- How old is Salma?
- What is her house number?
- How many students are in her class?
- How many Arabic books does she have?
15 · 27 · 18 · 3.
خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ · سَبْعَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ · ثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ · ثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ
Listening Phone number dictation
Listen without looking first. Write the complete phone number in Western digits.
Listening script
Check answer
07903 156824
Speaking My number world
Give a short presentation containing at least six numbers:
- your age or a fictional age;
- a house, bus or telephone number;
- the number of people or objects;
- a price;
- an ordinal position;
- one number above 100.
Writing Connected number paragraph
Write 7–9 Arabic sentences using both digit systems and at least:
- two cardinal numbers;
- one ordinal;
- one number–noun agreement pattern;
- one compound number;
- one real-life detail.
Word count: 0
How this topic supports wider language skills — الصِّلَةُ بِالْمَنْهَجِ
Time to think like an examiner. Numbers appear in three predictable disguises: prices in Reading, phone numbers and times in Listening, and your age and dates in Speaking and Writing. Practise all three below.
Task A · Reading 📖 The stationery shop — مَكْتَبَةُ النُّورِ
Read the shop’s price list, then answer. Notice the digits are Hindi-Arabic — as often presented in reading tasks.
| السِّلْعَةُ (item) | الثَّمَنُ (price) |
|---|---|
| قَلَمٌ — a pen | ٣ جُنَيْهَاتٍ |
| دَفْتَرٌ — a notebook | ١٢ جُنَيْهًا |
| حَقِيبَةٌ — a bag | ٤٥ جُنَيْهًا |
| قَامُوسٌ — a dictionary | ٩٩ جُنَيْهًا |
- How much does the notebook cost?
- Which item costs 45 pounds?
- You buy a pen and a notebook. What is the total?
- Write the dictionary’s price in Arabic words.
- 12 pounds (١٢ = اِثْنَا عَشَرَ جُنَيْهًا)
- The bag — الحَقِيبَةُ (٤٥ = 45)
- 3 + 12 = 15 pounds — خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ جُنَيْهًا
- تِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ جُنَيْهًا — “nine and ninety”
Task B · Listening 🎧 The phone number dictation
Listen without looking first. Ask a partner or reader to say the script aloud twice at natural speed, then write the phone number in Western digits.
Listening script
رَقْمُ هَاتِفِي هُوَ: صِفْرٌ – سَبْعَةٌ – تِسْعَةٌ – صِفْرٌ – ثَلَاثَةٌ – وَاحِدٌ – خَمْسَةٌ – سِتَّةٌ – ثَمَانِيَةٌ – اِثْنَانِ – أَرْبَعَةٌTask C · Writing ✍️ All about my numbers — أَرْقَامِي
Write three sentences about yourself using this scaffold. Then compare with the model answer.
٢. أَسْكُنُ فِي البَيْتِ رَقْمِ ______.
٣. فِي عَائِلَتِي ______ أَشْخَاصٍ. (1. I am ___ years old. 2. I live at house number ___. 3. There are ___ people in my family.)
💡 Notice the golden rules at work: سِتَّةُ أَشْخَاصٍ (شَخْصٌ masc. → ة on) and ثَلَاثُ أَخَوَاتٍ (أُخْتٌ fem. → ة off). Also: with age, سَنَةٌ is feminine, so 14 takes its feminine teen form أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ — recognise it, don’t worry about producing it perfectly yet.
Learn by matching, building, sorting and repairing
The original lesson games are retained. These additional challenges move from rapid recognition to explanation and independent mastery.
Each preserved game now appears beside the language point it practises.
Choose your challenge
Pick one level (or be brave and climb!). Due next lesson — submit via Teams Assignments. ✍️
🟢 Mild
Write the numbers 1–20 three ways: Western digit, Hindi-Arabic digit, and Arabic word (fully vowelled — copy carefully from this lesson). Decorate it as a poster if you like!
🟠 Spicy
Write eight sentences using numbers 3–10 with plural nouns — four masculine nouns, four feminine. Underline the number and label each one “flip: ة on” or “flip: ة off”.
🟧 Hot
Write a short paragraph «عَائِلَتِي وَأَرْقَامِي» (My family and my numbers): your age, house number, number of people in your family, how many brothers/sisters, and what time you wake up — using at least one ordinal.
The Grand Number Challenge 🏆
Eight questions mixing everything from today. Aim for 6+ to prove you’ve met the success criteria. 💬 Post your score in the chat!
🏆 Final Quiz — everything, mixed Score: 0/8
First try counts. Bismillah — off you go!