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خمسة عشر
KHAM-sa-ta A-shar (for masculine nouns) - 'kh' as in Scottish 'loch,' stress on first syllable of each part; KHAM-sa ASH-ra-ta (for feminine nouns) - same 'kh' sound, 'sh' as in 'ship,' final 'a' is short. The 'a' in 'ashar' is a short 'a' as in 'father,' and the 'r' is lightly rolled.
The number 15 in Arabic is written as "خمسة عشر" (khamsata ashar) and consists of two parts: "خمسة" (five) and "عشر" (ten). It belongs to the compound numbers (11-19) which have unique grammatical rules in Arabic, particularly regarding gender agreement where the first part takes the opposite gender of the counted noun.
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The number 15 follows the polar gender agreement rule (العدد المخالف) where the first component takes the opposite gender of the counted noun: masculine "khamsata" for masculine nouns, feminine "khamsa" for feminine nouns. The second component "ashar/ashrata" also changes gender accordingly. The counted noun always appears in the singular accusative form (منصوب), not plural, making it "fifteen book" literally rather than "fifteen books." Both parts of the compound number are written as one word and are indeclinable (مبني) in formal Arabic, though in modern usage some flexibility exists. When used as an ordinal (fifteenth), it becomes "الخامس عشر" (al-khaamas ashar) for masculine or "الخامسة عشرة" (al-khaamisa ashrata) for feminine, and both parts agree in gender with the noun.
The number 15 holds significance in the Islamic calendar as the middle of the lunar month, when the moon is full (البدر). The 15th night of Sha'ban (ليلة النصف من شعبان) is considered particularly blessed in many Muslim cultures, with special prayers and observances. In daily life, 15 is commonly encountered in contexts like half-month periods, the middle of Ramadan (a spiritually significant time), and in expressing time using the 24-hour clock system common in Arab countries.
The word "خمسة" (five) shares the same root as "خميس" (Thursday), literally meaning "the fifth day" in the traditional Arab week starting from Saturday. In Arabic mathematical tradition, 15 is significant as a triangular number (the sum of 1+2+3+4+5) and appears in magic squares used by medieval Arab mathematicians. The pronunciation shift between "khamsata" and "khamsa" when changing gender demonstrates the taa marbuta (ة) characteristic of Arabic number morphology, which only appears in the masculine form for numbers 3-9 when counting.
The number 15 in Arabic, written as خمسة عشر (khamsata ashar), represents a fascinating example of Arabic's complex yet logical number system. As one of the compound numbers from 11 to 19, it demonstrates unique grammatical patterns that distinguish Arabic from many other languages.
The number 15 consists of two distinct components: خمسة (khamsa/khamsata) meaning "five" and عشر (ashar/ashrata) meaning "ten." When pronouncing this number, English speakers should note that the 'kh' sound is produced from the back of the throat, similar to the 'ch' in the Scottish word "loch." The masculine form is pronounced "KHAM-sa-ta A-shar," while the feminine form is "KHAM-sa ASH-ra-ta."
In written Arabic, these two parts are joined together as a single compound word, though they represent separate numerical concepts. The number reads right to left like all Arabic text, literally meaning "five and ten" in the order it appears.
One of the most challenging aspects of Arabic numbers for English speakers is the gender agreement system, and 15 exemplifies the polar gender agreement rule (العدد المخالف). This means the number takes the opposite gender of the noun it modifies:
For example, when counting masculine "كتاب" (kitaab - book), you say "خمسة عشر كتاباً" (khamsata ashara kitaaban - fifteen books). However, with feminine "سيارة" (sayyaara - car), you say "خمس عشرة سيارة" (khamsa ashrata sayyaaratan - fifteen cars).
Unlike English where "fifteen" requires a plural noun ("fifteen books"), Arabic uses the singular accusative form of the noun after numbers 11-99. This might seem counterintuitive, but the logic is that the number itself already indicates plurality, so the noun remains singular. The accusative case is marked by the tanween sound "-an" at the end: "كتاباً" (kitaaban) rather than "كتب" (kutub - books).
The number 15 appears frequently in everyday Arabic:
In the 24-hour clock system widely used in Arab countries, 15:00 refers to 3 PM. The ordinal form "الخامسة عشرة" (al-khaamisa ashrata) is used: "الساعة الخامسة عشرة" (as-saa'a al-khaamisa ashrata).
When discussing prices or quantities, 15 follows the same grammatical rules: "خمسة عشر درهماً" (khamsata ashara dirhaman - fifteen dirhams) or "خمس عشرة ليرة" (khamsa ashrata leeratan - fifteen liras, since lira is feminine).
Expressing age uses the feminine word "سنة" (sana - year), so you would say "خمس عشرة سنة" (khamsa ashrata sanatan - fifteen years old).
The number 15 holds special importance in Islamic culture as it marks the middle of the lunar month when the moon reaches fullness. The 15th of Sha'ban (the eighth month of the Islamic calendar) is observed by many Muslims as a blessed night called "Laylat al-Nisf min Sha'ban" (ليلة النصف من شعبان), marked by special prayers and reflection.
During Ramadan, the 15th night represents the halfway point of the holy month, often bringing renewed spiritual energy to observers. Many traditional Islamic texts and hadiths reference events occurring on the 15th of various months, making this number frequently encountered in religious contexts.
The structure of 15 in Arabic reflects the language's Semitic roots, where "خمسة" (five) shares its three-letter root (خ-م-س) with other related words. Interestingly, this root also gives us "خميس" (khamees - Thursday), literally meaning "the fifth day" when counting from Saturday as the first day of the traditional Arab week.
In classical Arabic mathematics, 15 was recognized as a triangular number (the sum of the first five natural numbers: 1+2+3+4+5=15), a property that fascinated medieval Arab mathematicians who contributed significantly to number theory and algebra.
When learning to use 15 in Arabic, remember these key points:
Mastering the number 15 and its compound number siblings (11-19) is a significant milestone in learning Arabic, as these numbers demonstrate core grammatical principles that extend throughout the language's number system.