كلا / كلتا

Both

Level 4

Use كلا (masculine) and كلتا (feminine) to say 'both'. Their form changes depending on whether they are followed by a noun or a pronoun.

How It Works

1. Usage with Nouns (اسم ظاهر)
When followed by a visible noun, the forms كلا (masc.) and كلتا (fem.) are treated as an Ism Maqsur (like the word 'Mustafa'). This means they have a fixed spelling and hidden case endings. The noun that follows must be:

Example: حضر كلا الطالبينِ (Both students attended).

2. Usage with Pronouns (ضمير)
When attached to possessive pronouns (like -هما), they are considered Annexed to the Dual. They become declinable like dual nouns, showing visible changes:

  • Nominative: كلاهما / كلتاهما
  • Accusative/Genitive: كليهما / كلتيهما

3. Agreement Rules
In formal Modern Standard Arabic, agreement for verbs and adjectives can follow either the singular form (matching the word's literal form) or the dual meaning. While both are correct, the singular is often preferred in high-register writing.

4. Emphasis vs. Second Subject
When used after a noun, its grammatical role depends on the predicate:

  • Emphasis (Tawkid): If the following word is dual (e.g., الطالبان كلاهما مجتهدان). Here, 'kila' matches the case of the first noun.
  • Second Subject (Mubtada' Thani): If the following word is singular (e.g., الطالبان كلاهما مجتهد). In this case, 'kila' is always nominative.

5. Register
This is a formal construction. In everyday speech, speakers usually use the number two or the word kull instead.

Further Connections

  • كل: 'Kull' is the general quantifier for 'all' or 'every', whereas 'kila' is restricted to exactly two.
  • إعراب المثنى بالألف والياء: When attached to pronouns, 'kila' and 'kilta' follow the dual case system (Alif for nominative, Ya for accusative/genitive).

Examples (6)

  1. كلا الطالبينِ مجتهدانِ.

    Both students (m.) are hardworking.

    Word by Word: Both the-two-students hardworking-two.

    كلا is followed by a genitive dual noun and keeps its spelling. مجتهدانِ is an adjective functioning as the predicate; its dual form follows the meaning of both students.

  2. كلتا البنتينِ نجحتا في الامتحان.

    Both girls passed the exam.

    Word by Word: Both the-two-girls they-two-passed in the-exam.

    Using the feminine 'kilta'. The verb 'najahata' is dual here, though a singular verb 'najahat' is also grammatically acceptable in formal style.

  3. قرأتُ الكتابينِ كليهما.

    I read both of the books.

    Word by Word: I-read the-two-books both-of-them.

    Because 'kila' is attached to a pronoun and refers to an object in the accusative case, it changes to 'kilay-hima'.

  4. سلمتُ على المعلمتينِ كلتيهما.

    I greeted both of the teachers (f.).

    Word by Word: I-greeted on the-two-teachers both-of-them.

    Attached to a pronoun in the genitive case (after a preposition), 'kilta' becomes 'kiltay-hima'.

  5. الطالبان كلاهما مجتهدان.

    The two students, both of them, are hardworking.

    Word by Word: The-two-students both-of-them hardworking-two.

    In this sentence, 'kila' acts as 'Emphasis' (Tawkid) because the predicate 'mujtahidan' is dual, matching the subject.

  6. الطالبان كلاهما مجتهدٌ.

    The two students, each of them is hardworking.

    Word by Word: The-two-students both-of-them hardworking.

    In this analysis كلاهما is a second subject and مجتهدٌ (mujtahid) is its singular predicate. The embedded nominal clause describes الطالبان. This differs from emphatic كلاهما modifying a dual noun.

Common Mistakes

  • Changing the spelling of 'kila' when it is followed by a noun.

    رأيتُ كلي الطالبينِ.
    رأيتُ كلا الطالبينِ.

    When followed by a noun, 'kila' maintains its spelling regardless of the case. It only changes its visible ending to 'kilay-' as in كليهما when attached to a pronoun.

  • Using 'kila' with an indefinite noun.

    كلا طالبينِ.
    كلا الطالبينِ.

    The noun following 'kila' must be definite (usually with the article 'al-') to refer to a specific pair.

  • Gender mismatch.

    كلا البنتينِ.
    كلتا البنتينِ.

    You must use 'kilta' for feminine nouns and 'kila' for masculine nouns.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

كلا / كلتاLevel 4Both

Learn This First

To learn 'كلا' and 'كلتا', you must first understand the concept of the dual (two things) in Arabic and how the dual case endings (Alif and Ya) function. Additionally, because these words are typically followed by a noun in a possessive-like structure, knowledge of the Idafa construction is necessary.

Words in This Pattern

كلا