Tenth
العشر (al-ʿashr) means "the tenth" or "tenth" in Arabic, used to denote the ordinal number for position ten in a sequence. It can function as an ordinal adjective or noun, and is commonly used in both classical and modern Arabic to reference the tenth item, person, or occurrence. This word is essential for expressing ordinal numbers and time-related concepts in Arabic.
Worksheets, games, and lesson plans for Years 1-11
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هذا هو اليوم العاشر من شهر رمضان.
Hādhā huwa al-yawm al-ʿāshir min shahr Ramaḍān.
This is the tenth day of the month of Ramadan.
وصلت إلى الفصل العاشر من الكتاب.
Waṣalt ilā al-faṣl al-ʿāshir min al-kitāb.
I reached the tenth chapter of the book.
العاشر من نوفمبر هو عيد ميلادي.
Al-ʿāshir min Nūfambir huwa ʿīd mīlādī.
The tenth of November is my birthday.
تحتل مصر المركز العاشر عالمياً في المساحة.
Taḥtall Miṣr al-markaz al-ʿāshir ʿālamīyyan fī al-masāḥah.
Egypt ranks tenth globally in terms of area.
في الصف العاشر، بدأت دراسة اللغة الإنجليزية.
Fī al-ṣaff al-ʿāshir, badāt dirāsat al-lughah al-Injilīzīyah.
In the tenth grade, I began studying English.
In Arabic culture, ordinal numbers like العاشر are frequently used in educational contexts, historical references, and daily conversations about dates and rankings. The tenth holds particular significance in Islamic tradition, as the tenth day of Muharram (ʿĀshūrāʾ) is an important date in the Islamic calendar. Understanding ordinal numbers is crucial for navigating Arabic academic and administrative systems, where rankings, grades, and class levels are regularly discussed.
Remember that العاشر agrees in gender with the noun it modifies—use العاشرة for feminine nouns. When stating dates, العاشر is typically followed by the preposition من (min) meaning 'of' and then the month name. In written Arabic, you may also see this represented numerically as 10 or sometimes abbreviated as ع in formal documentation. Practice using this word with different noun genders and contexts to master its application.
The Arabic word العاشر (al-ʿāshir) is the ordinal number meaning "the tenth." It is derived from the cardinal number عشرة (ʿashrah), meaning "ten," and represents the position of something that comes after nine items in a sequence. This ordinal number is essential for Arabic learners as it appears frequently in educational, temporal, and numerical contexts.
العاشر functions as an adjective that agrees in gender and definiteness with the noun it modifies. When used with masculine nouns, it remains العاشر, but when modifying feminine nouns, it becomes العاشرة. The definite article "al-" (ال) is already prefixed, indicating that this is a definite ordinal number. For example:
Ordinal numbers like العاشر are indispensable in everyday Arabic communication. They are used to:
In the Arabic educational system, the tenth grade (الصف العاشر) holds particular importance as it is often a transitional year in secondary education. Furthermore, in Islamic tradition, the tenth day of Muharram is known as ʿĀshūrāʾ (عاشوراء), a day of historical and religious significance commemorated annually.
The ordinal system in Arabic demonstrates the language's precision in expressing sequential relationships, which reflects the importance of order and organization in Arabic-speaking cultures.
Understanding العاشر helps learners grasp the broader pattern of ordinal numbers in Arabic:
When learning العاشر and other ordinals, English speakers should:
العاشر is connected to several related Arabic numerical terms:
Mastering the use of العاشر opens doors to understanding the complete ordinal numbering system in Arabic and enhances communication skills in formal and informal contexts.