Numbers in Egyptian Arabic

Counting is one of the first genuinely useful skills you gain when learning Egyptian Arabic (masri). Whether you are bargaining for mangoes in Khan el-Khalili, giving out your phone number, or asking when the train to Alexandria leaves, numbers show up in almost every conversation. The good news: the system is logical, and once you have memorised the first ten digits, the rest falls into place quickly.

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Throughout this article we use arabizi transcription (Latin script with numbers): 2 marks the glottal stop (hamza/qaf), 3 marks the ع (ayn) sound, 5 or kh marks خ, 7 marks ح, and 8 or gh marks غ. Do not let these intimidate you: the numbers simply stand in for sounds that do not exist in English.

A little cultural context

In Egypt, numbers are spoken in dialect, but written digits follow the so-called "Eastern Arabic" system: ٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤ ٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩. On banknotes, licence plates, or prices displayed in a souk, you will see these symbols rather than 0, 1, 2, 3. It is therefore worth recognising them visually alongside the pronunciation.

Another key feature: Egyptian Arabic differs clearly from Standard Arabic (MSA) and from the Maghrebi dialects. The ج is pronounced /g/ (gamal, not jamal), and the ق often becomes a glottal stop. For numbers, this is most audible in certain digits such as 5amsa (five) or tes3a (nine). Egyptians are used to beginners: nobody will mind if you count slowly on your fingers at the market.

Finally, the culture of bargaining (el-fasal) makes numbers essential. Knowing prices, being able to say "that's too expensive" (8ali awi), and offering a counter-price are all part of the social game. Mastering numbers therefore boosts your social ease, not just your grammar.

The core number vocabulary

Here are the essential digits to learn by heart. Start by memorising them in order, then practise producing them out of sequence.

This table holds the building blocks. Note that wa7ed (one) has a feminine form wa7da, used according to the gender of the counted noun. For the other digits above two, a single form is generally used in everyday speech.

Counting from 11 to 100

After ten, Egyptian Arabic builds its numbers with a regular -tashar ending for the teens 11 to 19:

• 11: 7edashar
• 12: etnashar
• 13: talattashar
• 14: arba3tashar
• 15: 5amastashar
• 16: settashar
• 17: sab3atashar
• 18: tamantashar
• 19: tes3atashar

The round tens also follow a recognisable pattern:

• 20: 3eshrin
• 30: talatin
• 40: arbe3in
• 50: 5amsin
• 60: settin
• 70: sab3in
• 80: tamanin
• 90: tes3in

For compound numbers such as 21, 34, or 58, you say the unit first, then we ("and"), then the ten. So:

• 21: wa7ed we 3eshrin (literally "one and twenty")
• 34: arba3a we talatin
• 58: tamanya we 5amsin

This "unit + and + ten" logic is a bit like German. Once you have internalised it, you can generate any number up to 99 effortlessly.

Beyond that, miya (100) and alf (1000) let you go much higher. You say miteen for 200 and talat miya for 300. For 1000, alf; for 2000, alfein.

A dialogue at the market

Nothing beats a concrete scenario. Here is a typical exchange with a fruit seller in Cairo.

You: Bekam el-manga di? (How much are these mangoes?)

Seller: 3ashara genêh el-kilo. (Ten pounds a kilo.)

You: 8ali awi! Sab3a? (Too expensive! Seven?)

Seller: Tamanya, a5er kalam. (Eight, final word.)

You: Tayeb, kilo etnein men fadlak. (Alright, two kilos please.)

Several numbers intersect here: 3ashara (10), sab3a (7), tamanya (8), and etnein (2). The word genêh refers to the Egyptian pound (EGP), the country's currency. Notice the phrase bekam ("how much"): it is the key question for any purchase.

A practical case: giving your phone number

Egyptians often give their number digit by digit, which is perfect for practice. A number like 0100 234 5678 would be said: sifr, wa7ed, sifr, sifr... talata, arba3a... and so on. There is no need to build up large numbers: you simply read out the digits one at a time.

Likewise, for telling time, you combine numbers with el-sa3a (the hour). El-sa3a kam? means "What time is it?" and the answer might be el-sa3a talata (it's three o'clock). For displayed prices, quantities in a restaurant, or bus numbers, it is always the same ten starting blocks that come back.

One last frequent use: age. 3andak kam sana? means "How old are you?" (literally "you have how many years?"), and you answer 3andi talatin sana (I am thirty). The word sana means "year."

Recap and common mistakes

Let's review the classic pitfalls that beginners run into:

• Mixing up tes3a (9) and sab3a (7): the two sound alike. Repeat them as a pair to tell them apart clearly.
• Forgetting the we in compound numbers: you do not say 3eshrin wa7ed but rather wa7ed we 3eshrin. The unit always comes first.
• Pronouncing ق as in MSA: in Egyptian, it becomes a glottal stop, which changes the sound of certain words tied to numbers and prices.
• Neglecting written digits: knowing how to say 5amsa is not enough if you cannot recognise ٥ on a price tag. Train both together.
• Using wa7ed instead of wa7da before a feminine noun: "one" agrees in gender.

To improve, count everything around you: the steps of a staircase, metro stations, coins in your pocket. Repetition in real context anchors numbers far more firmly than lists do.

Going further

Numbers are an ideal gateway to the rest of the dialect: they appear in prices, dates, addresses, and daily conversations. Once you are comfortable with the digits from 0 to 1000, you will be able to haggle without hesitation and understand what shopkeepers reply.

On Targumi, the Egyptian Arabic lessons come with audio recorded by native speakers from Cairo, letting you hear the real pronunciation of the numbers, complete with the famous ج as /g/ and the glottal ق. Listening and then repeating aloud is the most effective way to make numbers automatic.

Recommended next step: pair numbers with vocabulary for money, time, and quantities to build full sentences. And above all, practise in context: a real Egyptian market is the best playground for your digits.

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