Khamsa wa-khamsun. Break it down: KHAH-msa (five, with the 'kh' sound like in 'Bach') + wah (and) + KHAH-msoon (fifty, with emphasis on the final vowel). The 'w' in 'wa-' is lightly pronounced as a conjunction. Practice saying it as one fluid phrase: KHAH-msa-wah-KHAH-msoon.
About This Number
The number 55 in Arabic is written as خمسة وخمسون (khamsa wa-khamsun), literally meaning 'five and fifty.' It is a compound number combining the feminine form of five (خمسة) with the masculine form of fifty (خمسون), following the Arabic convention of stating the smaller number before the larger one. This number follows standard rules for compound numbers between 21 and 99.
Usage Examples
هناك خمسة وخمسون طالباً في الفصل (There are fifty-five students in the classroom) — here the number agrees with the masculine noun 'students'
اشتريت خمسة وخمسون كتاباً (I bought fifty-five books) — demonstrating the number used with a masculine plural noun
السيدة تبلغ من العمر خمسة وخمسون عاماً (The woman is fifty-five years old) — showing usage with the feminine noun 'year'
في المدينة خمسة وخمسون مسجداً (In the city there are fifty-five mosques) — used with a masculine singular noun
خمسة وخمسون درجة في الامتحان (Fifty-five degrees/marks on the exam) — demonstrating numerical measurement context
سأعود في خمسة وخمسون دقيقة (I will return in fifty-five minutes) — showing temporal usage
Grammar Notes
The number 55 (خمسة وخمسون) requires careful gender agreement. The first part, خمسة (five), is feminine in form and takes feminine agreement with the counted noun, while the second part, خمسون (fifty), is masculine and typically appears in the nominative case. When counting with 55, the noun counted takes the plural accusative form (منصوب جمع). The entire compound number is treated as a single counting unit that precedes the noun it modifies. In formal written Arabic, the number may be written with the conjunction و (wa-) between the two parts, though in modern usage it's sometimes written as one phrase. The gender agreement pattern differs from English: while English simply states '55,' Arabic must mark grammatical gender through both the number form and the noun agreement, making this a key example of Arabic's complex morphological system.
Cultural Significance
While 55 itself holds no special religious significance in Islamic tradition, numbers in the 50s range appear frequently in everyday Arabic usage, particularly in age references, financial transactions, and administrative contexts. The number is commonly encountered in Arabic-speaking countries in postal codes, telephone numbers, and official documentation. Understanding compound numbers like 55 is essential for practical communication in business, education, and social contexts across the Arab world.
Fun Facts
The number 55 is interesting because it is a palindromic number when written in Arabic numerals (٥٥), making it visually symmetrical. In Arabic counting tradition, compound numbers from 21-99 follow the pattern of stating the ones place before the tens place, which is opposite to English and many European languages — this reverse-order pattern reflects the right-to-left direction of Arabic script and historical counting conventions. The number 55 appears frequently in Islamic contexts such as prayer times, Quranic verse numbering systems, and traditional mathematical texts.
## Understanding the Arabic Number 55
The Arabic number 55, written as **خمسة وخمسون** and pronounced **khamsa wa-khamsun**, is a compound number that combines two separate numerical components. In English, we simply say 'fifty-five,' but in Arabic, the structure is more complex and reveals important patterns about how the Arabic language constructs and uses numbers in everyday communication.
## Writing and Pronunciation
In Arabic script, 55 is written as خمسة وخمسون, where:
- **خمسة** (khamsa) means 'five' and is feminine in gender
- **و** (wa-) is the conjunction 'and'
- **خمسون** (khamsun) means 'fifty' and is masculine in gender
The pronunciation should be practiced as one flowing phrase: **KHAH-msa wah KHAH-msoon**. The initial 'kh' sound does not exist in English but is similar to the 'ch' in the German word 'Bach' or the Spanish 'jota.' English speakers should avoid pronouncing it like 'th' or 'k' alone. The final '-un' ending on khamsun indicates the nominative case in formal Arabic grammar.
## Grammar Rules for Compound Numbers
One of the most important aspects of using 55 correctly in Arabic is understanding gender agreement. Unlike English, where grammatical gender plays a minimal role, Arabic numbers must agree with the nouns they modify in specific ways.
When using 55 with a noun, the entire compound number precedes the noun, and the noun must appear in the plural accusative form (النصب جمع - al-nasb jama). For example:
- **خمسة وخمسون طالباً** (khamsa wa-khamsun taliban) — fifty-five students
- **خمسة وخمسون كتاباً** (khamsa wa-khamsun kitaban) — fifty-five books
The accusative case is marked by the 'an' ending on the noun. This pattern applies consistently across all compound numbers from 21 to 99 in Arabic. The gender system in Arabic numbers can be confusing because the number 'five' (خمسة) is feminine in form, while 'fifty' (خمسون) is masculine. This mixed-gender compound is actually the standard pattern for all numbers from 21-99 in Arabic.
## Practical Usage Examples
**Age:** خمسة وخمسون سنة (fifty-five years old) — Here the noun 'year' (سنة) takes the accusative form.
**Quantities:** في الصف خمسة وخمسون تلميذاً (There are fifty-five pupils in the class) — The noun 'pupil' (تلميذاً) is in the accusative plural form.
**Time:** خمسة وخمسون دقيقة (fifty-five minutes) — Used for both clock time and duration.
**Distance and Measurement:** المسافة خمسة وخمسون كيلومتراً (The distance is fifty-five kilometers) — Measurement contexts frequently use this number.
## Cultural and Practical Context
In Arabic-speaking countries, the number 55 appears regularly in everyday life. You might encounter it in:
- **Phone numbers:** Saudi Arabia's country code is +966, and local numbers often reference the 55 pattern
- **Addresses and postal codes** throughout the Middle East
- **Age references** in conversation and documentation
- **Prices and financial transactions**, especially in markets and stores
- **Classroom sizes and institutional settings**
The ability to accurately use compound numbers like 55 is essential for anyone learning Arabic, as these numbers are far more common in practical communication than basic counting from 1-20. Understanding the grammatical patterns of 55 also helps learners apply the same rules to all compound numbers in the 20s, 30s, 40s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.
## Historical and Linguistic Context
The Arabic number system, including how compound numbers are constructed, reflects the historical development of Arabic grammar and the influence of Classical Arabic traditions. The convention of stating the smaller number before the larger number in compound numbers is characteristic of Semitic languages and differs fundamentally from Germanic and Romance languages. This reverse-order pattern actually mirrors the right-to-left direction of Arabic script itself, making it a natural feature of the language's structure.
Mastering the number 55 and its grammatical patterns is a significant milestone for Arabic learners, as it demonstrates understanding of gender agreement, case endings, and the logical structure of Arabic's numerical system — all critical components of Arabic language proficiency.