ستة
sittah
The English word "six" is translated into Arabic as ستة (sittah).
The word ستة is a cardinal number used for counting.
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ستة is the feminine form of the number six. Due to the rule of gender polarity in Arabic numbers between 3 and 10, this feminine form is used when counting masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
sittah
Did you know?
- In some Arabic cultures, the number ستة is associated with the 'six directions' of movement. This concept is often used in traditional literature and poetry to describe a total or comprehensive search of a place.
- The word ستة is a direct descendant of the Proto-Semitic word *šidṯatum. This makes it a linguistic relative to the number six in other ancient Semitic languages like Akkadian and Hebrew.
- The concept of 'gender polarity' for ستة means that if you are counting feminine items, you must use the masculine form ست, which feels counterintuitive to English speakers.
Examples in context
- قسمت الكعكة إلى ستة قطع.She divided the cake into six pieces.Tatoeba #5106976 by damascene, translation #311097 by CK
- خلق الله الأرض في ستة أيام.God created the world in six days.Tatoeba #383700 by saeb, translation #269644 by hayastan
- شرب سامي ستة كؤوس من الخمر.Sami drank six glasses of wine.Tatoeba #7020235 by OsoHombre, translation #6710130 by OsoHombre
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Maryam are buying apples at a market.
- أحمد Ahmedأريد ستة تفاحات من فضلك.Urīdu sitta tuffāḥāt min faḍlak.I want six apples, please.
- مريم Maryamهل تريد ستة فقط يا أحمد؟Hal turīdu sitta faqaṭ yā Aḥmad?Do you only want six, Ahmed?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، ستة تكفينا اليوم.Naʿam, sitta takfīnā al-yawm.Yes, six are enough for us today.
- مريم Maryamحسناً، هذا هو السعر.Ḥasanan, hādhā huwa as-siʿr.Alright, here is the price.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ستة, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
