Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ثلاثة | talāta | /θa.laː.θa/ | Hijazi Arabic, feminine |
| ثَلَاثَة | ṯalāṯa | ||
| ثَلَاث | ṯalāṯ | ||
| تلاتة | talāta | Egyptian Arabic |
This phrase refers to the cardinal number 3.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the gender of the noun being counted. Use ثلاثة when counting masculine nouns and ثلاث when counting feminine nouns.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ثلاثة is the formal translation in Modern Standard Arabic. For a common spoken version in dialects, such as Egyptian Arabic, you can use the colloquial تلاتة.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Egyptian dialect, تلاتة is used. In the Gulf dialect, the pronunciation is closer to تلاتة. Additionally, ثلاثة is used in Hijazi Arabic.
How does it change in a sentence?
The number must change its form to agree with the gender of the noun it is counting: use ثلاثة for masculine nouns and ثلاث for feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is talāta. It has 3 syllables and the IPA is /θa.laː.θa/.
Did you know?
- The word ثلاثة is closely related to the Hebrew word 'shalosh', as both languages share an ancestral root for the number three.
- In Arabic, the number 'three' acts as a gender-reversing agent. When counting masculine nouns, you use the feminine form ثلاثة, and when counting feminine nouns, you use the masculine form ثلاث.
- In some Arabic-speaking cultures, the number three can be associated with certain traditional blessings or rhythmic patterns in poetry, though its usage is primarily mathematical.
Examples in context
- لدى أمي ثلاثة كلاب.My mum has three dogs.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use ثلاثة with a plural noun.Tatoeba #1578472 by Amastan, translation #1572942 by fanty
- كم ثلاثة مرات سبعة؟What is three times seven?This sentence shows how to use ثلاثة in a mathematical context.Tatoeba #11665747 by dididodo, translation #2247134 by Amastan
- قبضت على ثلاثة طيور.You caught three birds.This sentence demonstrates the use of ثلاثة when counting birds.Tatoeba #11984613 by dididodo, translation #1826218 by Amastan
- هناك ثلاثة كتب على الطاولة.There are three books on the table.
- 54 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Layla and Ziad are at a coffee shop checking an order.
- ليلى Laylaكم كوب قهوة طلبنا؟kam kub qahwa talabna?How many cups of coffee did we order?
- زياد Ziadطلبنا ثلاثة أكواب.talabna thalatha akwab.We ordered three cups.
- ليلى Laylaهل وصل الطلب؟hal wasal al-talab?Did the order arrive?
- زياد Ziadنعم، هو هنا.na'am, huwa huna.Yes, it is here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “three” translations and entries ثلاثة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
