8 words? No, 8

In English, you just say 'eight books' or 'eight cars'. The word 'eight' never changes. In Arabic, the number 8 has two main personalities. The first is thamāniyah, which looks feminine because of the tāʾ marbūṭah (ة) at the end. The second is thamānī, which looks masculine. Here is the twist: you use the feminine-looking thamāniyah for masculine nouns. You use the masculine-looking thamānī for feminine nouns. It feels like you are wearing your shoes on the wrong feet at first. But there is a logic to it. This 'switch' helps distinguish the number from the noun in a fast-paced conversation. Imagine you are in a busy market in Amman. You want to buy eight pens. A pen is qalam, which is masculine. You would say thamāniyah aqlām. You use the feminine number for the masculine pen. It is a total switcheroo!

1. 1To master the number eight, follow these three simple steps every single time:
2. 2Find the Singular: Look at the noun you want to count. Always find its singular form first. For example, if you have 'books' (kutub), the singular is kitāb.
3. 3Check the Gender: Is the singular noun masculine or feminine? kitāb is masculine. sayyārah (car) is feminine.
4. 4Apply the Opposite: If the singular is masculine, use thamāniyah (the one with the 'ة'). If the singular is feminine, use thamānī (the one without the 'ة').
5. 5Remember, the noun itself must be in the plural form and usually takes a 'damma' or 'kasra' ending depending on the sentence, but for now, just focus on the plural. So, 'eight books' becomes thamāniyah kutub. 'Eight cars' becomes thamānī sayyārāt. It is a simple 1-2-3 process that prevents your brain from melting during a conversation.

You will use this specific pattern whenever you are counting items between 3 and 10. Specifically for the number eight, use it when:

• You are ordering food: "I want thamāniyah sandwiches, please!"
• You are giving your phone number (though digits are often used individually there).
• You are talking about your family: "I have thamānī sisters."
• You are in a job interview: "I have thamāniyah years of experience."
• You are asking for directions: "Go past thamāniyah buildings and turn left."

It is the bread and butter of daily life. You cannot escape it, so you might as well embrace the flip-flop logic. Think of it as a secret code that only those 'in the know' can use correctly.

Do not use this polarity rule for the numbers 1 and 2. Those numbers are 'well-behaved' and actually match the noun's gender. Also, do not use this pattern for numbers 11 and up. Once you hit 11, the rules change entirely, and the noun becomes singular again. Arabic grammar loves to keep you on your toes! Also, avoid using the 'opposite gender' rule if you are just reciting the numbers in a list (like counting 1 to 10 for exercise). In that case, people usually just use the feminine forms as the default. If you are not counting specific objects, the 'switch' doesn't need to happen.

The most common mistake is 'Gender Matching'. You might naturally want to say thamānī with a feminine noun because they 'match'. Resist the urge! Remember: Opposites Attract. Another mistake is using the singular noun. You cannot say thamāniyah kitāb. It must be the plural aqlām. Finally, watch out for the spelling of 'eight' in the masculine form. Sometimes the 'y' at the end of thamānī can disappear in advanced grammar (becoming thamānin), but at the A1 level, sticking to thamānī for feminine nouns is your safest bet. If you mess it up, don't worry—people will still understand you, but you might get a friendly correction from a local shopkeeper.

How does this compare to numbers 1 and 2? For 1 and 2, the number comes *after* the noun and matches it. For example, kitāb wāḥid (one book - both masculine). But for 3-10, the number comes *before* the noun and flips the gender. It is like the grammar rules had a disagreement and decided to do two different things just to be difficult. Compared to English, where 'eight' is a static block, Arabic numbers are more like chameleons. They change their 'skin' based on what they are standing next to. This is similar to how adjectives work in Romance languages, but with that extra 'reverse' twist that is unique to Semitic languages.