Nouns After Numbers

Level 2

The same rule holds after چند (how many).

How It Works

In English you add -s after a number. In Dari the number does that job, and the noun stays plain.

DariMeaning
دو کتابtwo books
سه روزthree days
هفت شاگردseven students
ده سالten years
بیست افغانیtwenty afghanis

Words for time and money take the number directly: پنج روز, ده سال, بیست افغانی. For things and people, a counting word can sit between the number and the noun: سه دانه کتاب, پنج نفر شاگرد. The noun is still singular.

Without a number the plural ending is fine: کتاب‌ها را آوردم means I brought the books. With a number, drop it. The rule is the same for every number, including numbers joined with و, such as بیست و پنج روز.

Examples (5)

  1. من سه کتاب دارم.

    I have three books.

    کتاب stays singular after سه.

  2. پنج روز در هرات ماندیم.

    We stayed in Herat for five days.

    روز stays singular after پنج.

  3. در صنف ما هفت شاگرد هست.

    There are seven students in our class.

    شاگرد stays singular after هفت.

  4. او ده سال در کابل زندگی کرد.

    She lived in Kabul for ten years.

    سال stays singular after ده.

  5. دو معلم و هشت شاگرد آمدند.

    Two teachers and eight students came.

    Both معلم and شاگرد stay singular after their numbers.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding ـها after a number.

    من سه کتاب‌ها دارم.
    من سه کتاب دارم.

    The number already shows there are three, so the plural ending is dropped.

  • Adding ـان after a number.

    چهار شاگردان در صنف استند.
    چهار شاگرد در صنف استند.

    ـان is dropped after a number too.

How It Connects

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

Nouns After NumbersLevel 2

Learn This First

A noun after a number stays singular, so the numbers come first.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.