Palestinian Numbers 1–100, Prices & Time

Quick answer In Palestinian Arabic you count 1 to 10 as wahad, tnein, tlate, arbaʿa, khamse, sitte, sabʿa, tamanye, tisʿa, ʿashara (واحد، تنين، تلاتة، أربعة، خمسة، ستة، سبعة، تمانية، تسعة، عشرة). 11 to 19 end in -aʿsh (ihdaʿsh, itnaʿsh), the tens in -in (ʿishrin, tlatin), and from 21 on the unit comes first: 21 is wahad w-ʿishrin. To ask a price, say ʾaddeish hada?; to ask the time, ʾaddeish es-saʿa?.

How do you count from 1 to 10 in Palestinian Arabic?

These are the numbers you will hear in Jerusalem and Ramallah, with the Arabic digits you see in newspapers, on signs and on many price tags. Say them out loud until they come without thinking; every larger number is built from these ten.

Two traps with the digits: ٦ looks like a 7 but is 6, and ٠ is a dot while ٥ is a small circle. Numbers with several digits are written left to right like ours, so ٢٥ is 25. Supermarkets and phones often use 0 to 9, so you need to read both.

Palestinian numbers 11 to 100 and beyond

Eleven to nineteen all end in -aʿsh, and add -ar when a noun follows (ihdaʿshar yom, eleven days). The tens all end in -in. From 21 upwards the unit comes first: 21 is literally "one and twenty", wahad w-ʿishrin.

Examples: 35 is khamse w-tlatin, 105 is miyye w-khamse, 224 is mitein w-arbaʿa w-ʿishrin, 2026 is alfein w-sitte w-ʿishrin. Before a noun, 100 shortens to mit: mit shekel, a hundred shekels.

How are Palestinian numbers different from MSA and other dialects?

Like all Levantine dialects, Palestinian turns the "th" of Modern Standard Arabic into t: standard thalatha becomes tlate, ithnan becomes tnein, thamaniya becomes tamanye. Many numbers end in a soft -e (khamse, sitte, miyye). Lebanese and Syrian speakers count almost the same way, with small vowel differences (Beirut says tlete and tmene); Egyptians say talata and tamanya and build 11 to 19 with -ashar. Everyone in the Levant will understand you.

The counting rule: what happens to the noun after a number?

With 1 the noun stays singular and the number follows it (ktab wahad, one book). With 2 there is no "tnein": the noun takes the dual ending -ein (ktabein, yomein). From 3 to 10 you use a short number plus the plural (tlat kutub), with a linking t- before a vowel (khams tiyyam, five days). From 11 the noun goes back to the singular (ʿishrin yom). Ordering and paying are the friendly exception: tnein ʾahwe, two coffees, khamse shekel, five shekels.

Prices and time are on pages 3 and 4 of the PDF: ʾaddeish hada? (how much is this?), ghali ktir! (too expensive!), ʾaddeish es-saʿa? (what time is it?), with a haggling dialogue at the market in Ramallah. Before this sheet, learn the greetings; after it, ask "how many" and "how much" with the question words sheet. All Levantine sheets are on the Levantine Arabic page.

What's inside the PDF

• Numbers 0 to 10, 11 to 19, tens, hundreds and thousands as a visual grid: Arabic digit, Arabic script and Jerusalem pronunciation side by side
• How compound numbers are built (wahad w-ʿishrin) and how to read both kinds of digits you see in Palestine
• The counting rule in one table: singular, dual, plural after 3 to 10, singular after 11, plus the Levantine extras (khams tiyyam, ihdaʿshar ktab) and the ordering exception (tnein ʾahwe)
• 12 phrases for prices and money and an 8-line haggling dialogue at the vegetable market in Ramallah
• Telling the time with w- and illa, the days of the week and everyday time words
• Six exercises with points, including price tags from Jerusalem, clock faces and a haggling role-play with seller and buyer cards, plus answer key and teacher notes

How to use it on your own

Say every number in sections A and B out loud until you can count to 20 and in tens to 100 without looking. Read the counting rule, then test yourself with objects on your desk: ʾalam wahad, ʾalamein, tlat iʾlam. Read the market dialogue as both speakers. For the role-play, play both parts yourself out loud if you have no partner. Finish with the clocks and the maths, always speaking the answer before you write it.

How to use it in class

Fits a 45 to 60 minute lesson, or a 30-minute version with section A, the counting rule and the role-play. The counting rule (section C) is the grammar point of this sheet: drill it with real objects before Ex. 1. Ex. 5, the haggling role-play, is the centrepiece: pairs play it twice so both roles are covered, Arabic numbers only, and the seller keeps the minimum column secret. Points fields on every exercise, answer key on the last page.

Preview

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Frequently asked questions

How do you count to 10 in Palestinian Arabic?

wahad (1), tnein (2), tlate (3), arbaʿa (4), khamse (5), sitte (6), sabʿa (7), tamanye (8), tisʿa (9), ʿashara (10). Zero is sifr. Compared with Standard Arabic, the th becomes t (tlate, not thalatha) and many numbers end in -e instead of -a.

How do you say the numbers 11 to 100 in Palestinian Arabic?

11 to 19 end in -aʿsh: ihdaʿsh, itnaʿsh, tlattaʿsh and so on up to tisaʿtaʿsh. The tens end in -in: ʿishrin, tlatin, arbaʿin, khamsin, sittin, sabʿin, tamanin, tisʿin, and 100 is miyye. Numbers in between put the unit first: 45 is khamse w-arbaʿin, "five and forty".

How do you ask how much something costs in Palestinian Arabic?

ʾaddeish hada? (how much is this?) or bikam hada?. At the market you will hear el-kilo b-ʿashara, "the kilo is ten". Useful replies are ghali ktir! (too expensive!) and khalliha b-… (make it …). The worksheet has a full haggling dialogue and a role-play.

How do you tell the time in Palestinian Arabic?

Ask ʾaddeish es-saʿa? and answer with es-saʿa plus the number: es-saʿa khamse (five o'clock), khamse w-nuss (half past five), khamse w-rubʿ (quarter past), sitte illa rubʿ (quarter to six). One o'clock is feminine: es-saʿa wahde.

Are Palestinian numbers different from Lebanese and Syrian numbers?

Only slightly. All Levantine dialects build numbers the same way, with -aʿsh for 11 to 19 and the unit first from 21. The differences are mostly in the vowels: Palestinians say tlate, tamanye and ʿashara where Beirut says tlete, tmene and ʿashra. Speakers from Beirut, Damascus, Amman and Jerusalem understand each other's numbers without effort.

Is this numbers worksheet free?

Yes. Download the PDF, print it and copy it as often as you like for personal use and in class. Please keep the Yallah Speak credit in the footer.