Number 60 in Arabic

ستون

Pronunciation

SIT-toon. The 'S' is pronounced as in 'sit,' the 'i' as in 'bit,' the double 't' is clear and emphatic (not glottal), the 'oo' rhymes with 'moon,' and the final 'n' is a nasal sound. In Classical Arabic, the emphasis is on the first syllable: SIT-toon. Some dialects may soften the 't' sound, but in Modern Standard Arabic, it remains crisp.

About This Number

ستون (sittun) is the Arabic number 60, a tens number that stands alone without requiring the dual or plural forms of accompanying nouns. It is written as ستون in Arabic script and is commonly used in counting, telling time, measurements, and everyday contexts. Like other tens numbers in Arabic (20, 30, 40, etc.), it has specific grammatical rules when used with nouns.

Usage Examples

في الساعة ستون دقيقة (fee al-saa'a sittun daqeeqa) — 'In the hour, there are sixty minutes.' Here ستون stands before the plural noun دقيقة, and the noun takes the genitive case (إضافة).
عمري ستون سنة (omri sittun sanah) — 'My age is sixty years.' ستون precedes the feminine noun سنة (year), which takes the genitive case in this construct phrase.
ستون شخصاً حضروا الاجتماع (sittun shakhsan hadaroo al-ijtimaa') — 'Sixty people attended the meeting.' Here ستون is used with a masculine accusative noun in the verbal sentence.
لدي ستون كتاباً في المكتبة (ladi sittun kitaban fee al-maktaba) — 'I have sixty books in the library.' The noun كتاب (book) takes the accusative case with the number ستون.
ستون درهماً ثمن هذا الفستان (sittun dirham thaman hadha al-fistan) — 'Sixty dirhams is the price of this dress.' Here ستون appears in an equational sentence with a counted noun in the accusative.
يعيش الإنسان ستون سنة أو أكثر (ya'eesh al-insan sittun sanah aw akthar) — 'A human lives sixty years or more.' This shows ستون in a generalized statement about human lifespan.

Grammar Notes

The number ستون (60) is a tens number (ألفاظ العقود) and follows the standard grammatical rules for numbers 20-90 in Arabic. When used with nouns, ستون requires the noun to appear in the genitive case (مجرور) in a construct phrase (إضافة), as in ستون درهم (sixty dirhams). Importantly, unlike numbers 3-9 which show gender agreement with their nouns, tens numbers like ستون do not change form regardless of whether the noun is masculine or feminine—ستون رجلاً (sixty men) and ستون امرأة (sixty women) use the same form of ستون. The noun following ستون is typically in the singular form (not plural) when in a construct, though in modern usage and in verbal sentences, the noun may appear in the accusative plural (منصوب جمع). In case ستون appears in a sentence as a predicate or in other oblique cases, it takes case endings: nominative ستون، accusative ستين، and genitive ستين (the last two forms are identical). Additionally, when ستون is used independently to answer 'how many?', it stands alone without requiring a following noun.

Cultural Significance

The number 60 holds significance in Islamic and Arabic scientific tradition, particularly in the sexagesimal (base-60) number system inherited from Babylonian mathematics, which was used extensively in Islamic astronomy, trigonometry, and timekeeping. The Quran and Islamic scholarship contain numerous references to periods and ages expressed in decades, and 60 appears in various religious contexts, including hadiths about longevity and the age of prophets. In modern Arabic culture, 60 is commonly encountered in daily life, from measuring time (60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute) to financial transactions, age references, and statistical data.

Fun Facts

The sexagesimal system (base-60) used in mathematics and astronomy throughout the Islamic Golden Age is directly connected to how numbers like 60 were conceptualized in Arabic mathematical tradition—this system gave us 60 seconds, 60 minutes, and 360 degrees in a circle. The word ستون (sittun) is derived from the root س-ت-ون, with etymological connections to the concept of 'six' (ستة), as 60 is six tens. In everyday Arabic conversation, 60 is often used colloquially to describe approximate ages, time durations, and in traditional Arab markets and souks where haggling often involves prices in multiples of tens, making ستون a frequently heard number in commercial contexts.

## The Arabic Number 60: ستون (Sittun) ### What Is ستون? The Arabic number 60, written as **ستون** (sittun), is a tens number that occupies an important place in Arabic numerals and Islamic mathematical tradition. Unlike the basic numbers 1-19, which follow unique grammatical patterns, and numbers 3-9, which show gender agreement with nouns, the tens numbers (20-90) including ستون follow a more straightforward but still complex grammatical structure. Understanding how to use ستون correctly requires knowledge of both its pronunciation and its interaction with Arabic nouns. ### Pronunciation of ستون The pronunciation of ستون is **SIT-toon**, with the stress falling on the first syllable. Breaking this down for English speakers: the 'S' sound is identical to the 's' in "sit," the 'i' vowel rhymes with "bit," the 'tt' is a clear, non-emphatic double consonant (important to distinguish from emphatic sounds in other Arabic words), the 'oo' rhymes with "moon," and the final 'n' is a nasal sound that closes the word. In Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha), this pronunciation remains consistent across regions, though some colloquial dialects may vary slightly. ### Grammar Rules for ستون One of the most critical aspects of using ستون correctly is understanding its grammatical behavior. As a tens number, ستون belongs to a special category in Arabic grammar called **ألفاظ العقود** (twenty through ninety). When ستون is used with a noun, the noun must appear in the **genitive case (مجرور)** and typically in the **singular form**: - **ستون درهماً** (sittun dirham) — "sixty dirhams" - **ستون كتاباً** (sittun kitaban) — "sixty books" - **ستون سنة** (sittun sanah) — "sixty years" Unlike the numbers 3-9, which require different forms depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine (e.g., ثلاثة رجال versus ثلاث نساء), the tens number ستون **does not change form based on the gender of the noun**. This simplifies matters considerably: ستون رجلاً (sixty men) and ستون امرأة (sixty women) both use the identical form **ستون**. When ستون itself appears in different grammatical cases within a sentence, it takes case endings: - **Nominative (مرفوع)**: ستون - **Accusative (منصوب)**: ستين - **Genitive (مجرور)**: ستين For example: "There are sixty people" uses nominative (في هناك ستون شخصاً), while "I saw sixty people" uses accusative (رأيت ستين شخصاً). ### Common Usage Examples Understanding ستون in real contexts helps solidify its grammatical patterns: 1. **في الساعة ستون دقيقة** (fee al-saa'a sittun daqeeqa) — "There are sixty minutes in an hour." Here, the noun دقيقة (minute) appears in the genitive case following ستون. 2. **عمري ستون سنة** (omri sittun sanah) — "My age is sixty years." This construct phrase (إضافة) shows ستون directly preceding the genitive singular noun. 3. **ستون تلميذاً اجتازوا الامتحان** (sittun tilmeedhan ijtazo al-imtihان) — "Sixty students passed the exam." The noun تلميذ (student) is in the accusative plural in this verbal sentence. 4. **يكسب العامل ستين دولاراً شهرياً** (yaksibu al-'amil sittun dolarar shahriyan) — "The worker earns sixty dollars monthly." Here, ستين is in the accusative case, and the noun دولار is also accusative. 5. **لدي ستون صديق في الفيسبوك** (ladi sittun sadeeq fee al-facebook) — "I have sixty friends on Facebook." The construct phrase shows the typical genitive singular pattern. ### Tens Numbers in Arabic: A Broader Context The number ستون is part of a larger system of tens numbers in Arabic: عشرون (20), ثلاثون (30), أربعون (40), خمسون (50), ستون (60), سبعون (70), ثمانون (80), and تسعون (90). All of these tens numbers follow the same grammatical rules as ستون, making them predictable once you understand the pattern. This consistency is one of the strengths of Arabic's number system. ### Cultural and Historical Significance The number 60 has deep historical roots in Arabic and Islamic mathematics. The Islamic Golden Age mathematicians and astronomers inherited and refined the **sexagesimal system (base-60)** from Babylonian mathematics. This system became the foundation for measuring angles (360 degrees = 6 × 60), time (60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute), and coordinates in astronomy. When Arabs and Muslims adopted this system, they incorporated it into their mathematical and astronomical treatises, which later influenced European science. In Islamic tradition, the number 60 appears in various contexts. The Quran and hadiths reference ages and lifespans, and 60 is often mentioned as a significant milestone in human life. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is said to have lived 63 years, and Islamic scholarship frequently uses 60-year cycles and periods. ### Daily Usage of ستون In modern Arabic-speaking communities, ستون appears regularly in everyday conversation: - **Telling time**: "في الساعة ثلاثة وستون دقيقة" (at 3:60 or 4 o'clock) - **Pricing**: Markets and shops use ستون when discussing prices in local currency - **Age**: Describing someone's age or a milestone birthday - **Statistics**: News broadcasts and reports use ستون for percentages, population figures, and measurements - **Sports**: Scores, distances, and time durations in sports contexts ### Learning Tips To master ستون and other tens numbers: 1. **Practice the construct phrase** (إضافة): Repetition with different nouns solidifies the genitive case pattern. Try: ستون كرسي، ستون ساعة، ستون عام، etc. 2. **Recognize the case endings**: Pay attention to how ستون changes when it appears as the subject, object, or in prepositional phrases. 3. **Distinguish from other number types**: Remember that ستون behaves differently from numbers 1-19 and from compound numbers like واحد وستون (61). 4. **Listen to native speakers**: Hearing ستون in context (podcasts, news, videos) reinforces correct pronunciation and usage patterns. 5. **Create flashcards**: Include example sentences with ستون to reinforce both vocabulary and grammar simultaneously. ### Conclusion The number ستون (60) is a fundamental component of Arabic numerals and grammar. While its rules are consistent and learnable, mastering its use requires understanding the broader tens number system and Arabic case grammar. With regular practice and exposure to authentic Arabic contexts, ستون and its grammatical patterns will become second nature, enabling you to use this number confidently in conversation, reading, and writing.