Many, few, some: the words of quantity
"Many" and "few" are not hung straight on a noun: Arabic says kathiir min — "many OF" — and the same with qaliil min — "few of". "Kathiir min al-kutub" — many (of the) books. For example: “عنده كثير من الكتب” — He has many books. A rule from the Arabic course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
"Many" and "few" are not hung straight on a noun: Arabic says kathiir min — "many OF" — and the same with qaliil min — "few of". "Kathiir min al-kutub" — many (of the) books.
After the "min" the noun takes the article: we speak of a part of a whole. Not any books, but of all these. You already know "min" — "from" — from cities and people: here it works for quantity.
Apart stands baʿd — "some": it needs no min, "baʿd al-jiiraan" — some neighbors. And kull is "each" and "all" at once: "kull yawm" — every day, "kull al-kutub" — all the books.
Shares are counted by nisf — a half — and an idafa follows: "nisf al-kitaab" — half of the book. A half, a quarter and the majority are here the owners of what they divide. The article lives on the second word.
Table
| word | sense | what follows |
|---|---|---|
| كثير من | many | min + article: kathiir min al-kutub |
| قليل من | few | min + article: qaliil min al-waqt |
| بعض | some | baʿd al-jiiraan |
| معظم | the majority | muʿzam at-taalibiin |
| كل | all / every | kull yawm, kull al-kutub |
| نصف | half | nisf al-kitaab |
By example
- عنده كثير من الكتبʿиндаху кясиир мин аль-кутубHe has many books
- قرأت نصف الكتابкираʾту нисф аль-китаабI read half of the book
- بعض الجيران يساعدونбаʿд аль-джираан йусааʿидуунSome neighbors help
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
How to say many books in Arabic?
"Many" and "few" are not hung straight on a noun: Arabic says kathiir min — "many OF" — and the same with qaliil min — "few of". "Kathiir min al-kutub" — many (of the) books.
Kathiir min in Arabic?
"Many" and "few" are not hung straight on a noun: Arabic says kathiir min — "many OF" — and the same with qaliil min — "few of". "Kathiir min al-kutub" — many (of the) books.
How to say some people in Arabic?
"Many" and "few" are not hung straight on a noun: Arabic says kathiir min — "many OF" — and the same with qaliil min — "few of". "Kathiir min al-kutub" — many (of the) books.
How to say half of the book in Arabic?
Shares are counted by nisf — a half — and an idafa follows: "nisf al-kitaab" — half of the book. A half, a quarter and the majority are here the owners of what they divide. The article lives on the second word.
What does it look like in a Arabic example sentence?
“عنده كثير من الكتب” (ʿиндаху кясиир мин аль-кутуб) — He has many books. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.