كلاهما
kilahuma
The English word "both" can be translated into Arabic as كلاهما (kilahuma).
The word is used to refer to each of two people or things. While كلاهما functions as a determiner to mean "both of them," you can also use the conjunction كل من … و … to mean "each of … and …" when linking two specific entities.
Meaning: each of two, one and the other (det)
What does it mean word for word?
The form كلاهما consists of the base كلا and the suffix -هما, which is a dual pronoun meaning "them" (applicable to both masculine and feminine).
Which one should you use?
The form كلاهما is used when the word functions as the subject of a sentence in the nominative case. If the word is an object or follows a preposition, it changes to the form كليهما.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the colloquial word الاتنين is used to express "both".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes its internal vowel structure based on its grammatical role: use كلاهما for the nominative case (subject) and كليهما for the accusative or genitive cases (object or after a preposition).
How do you pronounce it?
kilahuma
Did you know?
- If you are referring to two women, the word changes from كلاهما to a different form, كلتاهما, because Arabic requires gender agreement even for the concept of 'both'.
- Arabic allows for 'total' and 'partial' negation when using 'both'. A speaker can negate the entire pair or just one of the two, creating a nuanced meaning that often requires multiple words to translate into English.
- The word كل inside كلاهما is the root for 'all' or 'every'. This reveals that the Arabic concept of 'both' is linguistically built on the idea of 'the totality' of the pair.
Examples in context
- كلاهما يعمل في مصرف.They both work in a bank.This sentence demonstrates the use of كلاهما as a subject.Tatoeba #11636354 by dididodo, translation #8313825 by Amastan
- كلاهما حُكِم عليهما بالإعدام.They were both sentenced to death.Tatoeba #6139228 by OsoHombre, translation #5839514 by OsoHombre
- كانا سامي و ليلى كلاهما مسلمين.Sami and Layla were both Muslims.Tatoeba #7298980 by OsoHombre, translation #6474551 by OsoHombre
- في الكتابين، كل واحد منهما لديه فائدة خاصة.In both books, each one of them has a specific benefit.
- أعطيت كليهما نسخة من التقرير.I gave both of them a copy of the report.
- شفت الفيلمين المرشحين للجوائز، الاتنين كانوا حلوين جدا.I watched the two award-nominated movies, both of them were really nice.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Youssef and Maryam are choosing which books to read.
- يوسف Youssefهل تريدين هذا الكتاب أم ذاك؟hal turidīna hadhā al-kitāb am dhāk?Do you want this book or that one?
- مريم Maryamأريد كلاهما.urīdu kilāhumā.I want both.
- يوسف Youssefإذن سنشتري كلاهما اليوم.idhan sanashtarī kilāhumā al-yawm.Then we will buy both today.
- مريم Maryamشكراً لك يا يوسف.shukran laka yā Yūsuf.Thank you, Youssef.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
