ستة عشر
sittata 'ashar
The English number sixteen is ستة عشر (sittata 'ashar) in Arabic.
ستة عشر is the cardinal number used to represent the quantity 16.
Meaning: cardinal number 16 (num)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the word for six and the word for ten.
How does it change in a sentence?
ستة عشر is an indeclinable compound number, meaning its form does not change based on its grammatical position in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
sittata 'ashar
Did you know?
- The word for ten عشر shares a root with a term for a fibrous plant used to make cordage. This suggests the number ten may have originally been linked to the idea of association or binding.
- The number six ستة is often associated with the creation of the world in Islamic tradition, as the Quran mentions the heavens and earth were created in six days.
- In many Arabic dialects, the formal ستة عشر is replaced by a shortened version in daily speech. The strict grammatical rules of the formal version are often ignored in casual conversation.
Examples in context
- يبلغ منّاد ستة عشر سنة.Mennad is sixteen.This sentence is useful for expressing a person's age using ستة عشر.Tatoeba #8049856 by OsoHombre, translation #8001200 by OsoHombre
- "كم عمرك؟" "ستة عشر عاماً""How old are you?" "I'm sixteen."This example shows how to answer a question about your age using ستة عشر.Tatoeba #419489 by saeb, translation #418642 by CK
- كان عمر سامي خمسة عشر أو ستة عشر عاما.Sami was fifteen or sixteen.This sentence illustrates the use of ستة عشر when comparing two different ages.Tatoeba #7208373 by OsoHombre, translation #7206219 by OsoHombre
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maryam and Ahmed are talking about the number of guests at a party.
- مريم Maryamكم شخصاً سيزورنا اليوم يا أحمد؟Kam shakhsan sayazuruna al-yawm ya Ahmed?How many people will visit us today, Ahmed?
- أحمد Ahmedسيأتي ستة عشر ضيفاً إلى المنزل.Sayati sittata 'ashara dayfan ila al-manzil.Sixteen guests will come to the house.
- مريم Maryamهل هذا العدد كبير جداً؟Hal hadha al-adad kabir jiddan?Is this number too large?
- أحمد Ahmedلا، ستة عشر شخصاً عدد مناسب.La, sittata 'ashara shakhsan adad munasib.No, sixteen people is a suitable number.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ستة, ستة عشر, عشر, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
