Arabic numbers are an important foundation when learning Arabic. After studying units, compound numbers and tens, it is useful to understand how to form hundreds and thousands in Arabic.
This lesson is useful for Arabic for beginners, but also for students who want to strengthen their Arabic vocabulary, Arabic reading and Arabic grammar. Hundreds and thousands are used in daily life, texts, dates, prices, quantities and many common Arabic sentences.
In this lesson, you will learn Arabic hundreds from 100 to 900, Arabic thousands from 1000 to 9000, and the main declension rules related to them.
Arabic Hundreds from 100 to 900
In Arabic, hundreds are built around the word مِئَة, which means “one hundred”. Some forms are simple, while others are formed with a number placed before مِئَة.
| Number | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | مِئَة | miʾah |
| 200 | مِئَتَانِ | miʾatān |
| 300 | ثَلَاثُمِئَة | thalāthumiʾah |
| 400 | أَرْبَعُمِئَة | arbaʿumiʾah |
| 500 | خَمْسُمِئَة | khamsumiʾah |
| 600 | سِتُّمِئَة | sittumiʾah |
| 700 | سَبْعُمِئَة | sabʿumiʾah |
| 800 | ثَمَانِمِئَة | thamānimiʾah |
| 900 | تِسْعُمِئَة | tisʿumiʾah |
In modern usage, you may also find the spelling مائة for “one hundred”. Both forms are understood, but مِئَة is very common in learning materials.
Arabic Thousands from 1000 to 9000
The Arabic word for “one thousand” is أَلْف. To express two thousand, Arabic uses the dual form. From three thousand onward, the number is followed by the plural آلَاف.
| Number | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | أَلْف | alf |
| 2000 | أَلْفَانِ | alfān |
| 3000 | ثَلَاثَةُ آلَافٍ | thalāthatu ālāf |
| 4000 | أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافٍ | arbaʿatu ālāf |
| 5000 | خَمْسَةُ آلَافٍ | khamsatu ālāf |
| 6000 | سِتَّةُ آلَافٍ | sittatu ālāf |
| 7000 | سَبْعَةُ آلَافٍ | sabʿatu ālāf |
| 8000 | ثَمَانِيَةُ آلَافٍ | thamāniyatu ālāf |
| 9000 | تِسْعَةُ آلَافٍ | tisʿatu ālāf |
How to Decline Arabic Hundreds
Arabic hundreds can change according to their grammatical function in the sentence. They can be in the nominative, accusative or genitive case.
| Case | Arabic Example | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | جَاءَتْ مِئَةُ رَجُلٍ | One hundred men came. | مِئَةُ takes ḍammah. |
| Accusative | رَأَيْتُ مِئَةَ رَجُلٍ | I saw one hundred men. | مِئَةَ takes fatḥah. |
| Genitive | ذَهَبْتُ مَعَ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ | I went with one hundred men. | مِئَةِ takes kasrah. |
For numbers from 300 to 900, the declension mark appears on the first part of the number, while مِئَة remains connected to the number structure.
| Case | Arabic Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | هَاجَرَ ثَلَاثُمِئَةُ رَجُلٍ | Three hundred men emigrated. |
| Accusative | قَرَأْتُ أَرْبَعَمِئَةَ بَيْتٍ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ | I read four hundred lines of poetry. |
| Genitive | اِسْتَمَرَّ ذَلِكَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ثَمَانِمِئَةِ عَامٍ | That lasted more than eight hundred years. |
How to Decline Arabic Thousands
Thousands also follow declension rules according to their role in the sentence. The word أَلْف can take ḍammah, fatḥah or kasrah.
| Case | Arabic Example | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | جَاءَ أَلْفُ رَجُلٍ | One thousand men came. | أَلْفُ is nominative. |
| Accusative | رَأَيْتُ أَلْفَ رَجُلٍ | I saw one thousand men. | أَلْفَ is accusative. |
| Genitive | ذَهَبْتُ مَعَ أَلْفِ رَجُلٍ | I went with one thousand men. | أَلْفِ is genitive. |
For numbers from 3000 upward, the first number changes according to the grammatical case, while آلَاف remains in a genitive construction.
| Case | Arabic Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | هَاجَرَ ثَلَاثَةُ آلَافِ رَجُلٍ | Three thousand men emigrated. |
| Accusative | قَرَأْتُ ثَلَاثَةَ آلَافِ بَيْتٍ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ | I read three thousand lines of poetry. |
| Genitive | رَاتِبِي أَكْثَرُ مِنْ ثَلَاثَةِ آلَافِ جُنَيْهٍ | My salary is more than three thousand pounds. |
The Noun After Hundreds and Thousands
An important rule concerns the noun that follows hundreds and thousands. In Arabic, this noun is generally singular and genitive, known as مَجْرُور.
Examples:
- مِئَةُ رَجُلٍ: one hundred men;
- ثَلَاثُمِئَةُ رَجُلٍ: three hundred men;
- أَلْفُ رَجُلٍ: one thousand men;
- ثَلَاثَةُ آلَافِ رَجُلٍ: three thousand men.
This rule is important for building correct sentences in Modern Standard Arabic.
Why Learn Arabic Numbers?
Numbers are essential when learning Arabic because they appear in many situations: dates, prices, quantities, ages, schedules, addresses, religious texts, grammar exercises and everyday conversations.
Learning hundreds and thousands helps students:
- expand their Arabic vocabulary;
- improve Arabic reading;
- understand Modern Standard Arabic texts more easily;
- progress in Arabic grammar;
- use numbers in complete sentences;
- prepare for more complex Arabic numbers.
To strengthen your foundations, you can start with our guide to learn Arabic online, review the Arabic alphabet or use our free Arabic books for beginners.
Learn Arabic Numbers with a Teacher
Arabic numbers require practice because their form can change according to the grammatical context. A private Arabic tutor can help you understand the rules, correct your Arabic pronunciation and teach you how to use numbers in real sentences.
At Al-Dirassa, you can follow online Arabic classes with personalized learning. These classes are suitable for adults, children, beginners and students who want to progress in Modern Standard Arabic or Quranic Arabic.
For younger learners, you can also discover our Arabic classes for kids, adapted to their age, level and learning rhythm.
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Conclusion
Hundreds and thousands in Arabic are essential parts of Arabic vocabulary. Hundreds are built around the word مِئَة, while thousands are built around the word أَلْف and its plural آلَاف.
This lesson helps you understand a precise grammar and vocabulary topic, but learning Arabic numbers completely requires method, regular practice and correction from a teacher.
With private Arabic lessons and progressive learning, you will be able to read, understand and use Arabic numbers more confidently in your sentences and conversations.
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