كم + Accusative Singular Noun
How Many Takes a Singular Noun
In Modern Standard Arabic, the question word كم (how many) is followed by a singular noun in the accusative case (ending in -an).
How It Works
When you want to ask a specific question about a quantity in Modern Standard Arabic, you use كم الاستفهامية (Interrogative Kam). This pattern follows three strict rules for the noun that follows it:
- Singular: The noun must be singular (e.g., 'student', not 'students').
- Indefinite: The noun never takes the definite article.
- Accusative: The noun must be in the accusative case, usually shown by the tanwin fat-ha (-an) ending.
The Preposition Exception:
If a preposition like بـ (for/with) or من (from) comes before كم, the noun that follows can either stay accusative or change to the genitive case (-in). For example: بكم ريالاً؟ or بكم ريالٍ؟ (For how many riyals?). Both are correct in formal Arabic.
Examples (4)
- كم كتاباً قرأتَ اليوم؟
How many books did you read today?
Word by Word: How many book (singular/acc.) you read today?
Note that 'book' is singular (kitaban) even though we translate it as plural in English.
- كم مدينةً زرتَ في حياتك؟
How many cities have you visited in your life?
Word by Word: How many city (singular/acc.) you visited in your life?
The noun 'city' (madinatan) is singular and ends with the accusative marker on the Taa Marbuta.
- بكم ريالاً اشتريتَ هذا القميص؟
For how many riyals did you buy this shirt?
Word by Word: With how many riyal (singular/acc.) you bought this the-shirt?
Because of the preposition 'bi', you could also say 'riyal-in' (genitive), but 'riyal-an' remains standard.
- كم طالباً في الفصل؟
How many students are in the classroom?
Word by Word: How many student (singular/acc.) in the classroom?
A classic example of the singular accusative noun following 'kam'.
Common Mistakes
Using a plural noun after 'kam'.
كم كتباً قرأت؟كم كتاباً قرأت؟Learners often translate 'how many books' literally. In Arabic, 'kam' always requires the singular form of the noun being counted.
Using the nominative case (-un) instead of accusative (-an).
كم طالبٌ هنا؟كم طالباً هنا؟The noun following 'kam' must be in the accusative case (mansub) to function as a 'specification' (tamyiz).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand how to ask 'how many' in Arabic, you need to know the question word 'كم', the concept of the accusative case (al-mansub) which dictates the noun's ending, and how to apply indefinite tanween to that noun.
- كم (الاستفهامية)How Many
The learner must first understand the basic interrogative particle 'كم' (how many) before learning its specific grammatical governance over the following noun.
Level 1 - The Object Ending
This pattern requires the counted noun to be in the accusative case (mansub), so understanding the concept of the -a/-an ending is essential.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- The Clarifying Noun
The noun following 'kam' is a specific type of 'tamyiz' (specification) which clarifies an ambiguous quantity.
Level 3 - The Indefinite Ending
The -an ending used after 'kam' is a form of tanwin (nunation) indicating an indefinite noun.
Level 1 - Two Uses of كم
This pattern covers the 'interrogative' kam; it is often compared to the 'exclamatory' kam which uses a genitive noun.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice كم + Accusative Singular Noun in Bubblegum
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