ثلاثة عشر
thalathata 'ashar
Thirteen in Arabic is ثلاثة عشر (thalathata 'ashar).
The phrase refers to the cardinal number occurring after twelve and before fourteen.
Meaning: the cardinal number occurring after twelve and before fourteen (num)
Is it said differently in some regions?
The slang term تلتاشر is prevalent in the Levant region.
How does it change in a sentence?
The number ثلاثة عشر is indeclinable, meaning its vowel endings do not change based on its grammatical position in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
thalathata 'ashar
Did you know?
- The root of the number part, ع ش ر, is theorized to relate to the concept of 'association' or 'binding', much like how cords are used to tie things together.
- In some Arabic-speaking cultures, saying the number thirteen can sometimes carry different superstitious weights than it does in Western cultures, though it is not as universally 'unlucky' as in English.
- The word for 'three', ثلاثة, is a feminine form, which is a requirement for many numbers in Arabic depending on the gender of the noun being counted.
Example conversation
Ziad and Sarah are counting items in a classroom.
- سارة Saraكم طالباً في الفصل؟kam taliban fi al-fasl?How many students are in the class?
- زياد Ziadيوجد ثلاثة عشر طالباً.yujad thalathata 'ashara taliban.There are thirteen students.
- سارة Saraهل هذا صحيح يا زياد؟hal hadha sahih ya Ziad?Is that correct, Ziad?
- زياد Ziadنعم، أنا عددتهم للتو.na'am, ana 'adadtu-hum lil-taw.Yes, I just counted them.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ثلاثة, ثلاثة عشر, عشر, CC BY-SA 4.0.
