Lesson 86 · كَمْ كِتَابٍ
So many: كَمْ in statements
In lesson 16 كَمْ asked “how many?”. It can also exclaim “how many…!”, meaning “so many”. Then the noun after it ends in -i: كَمْ كِتَابٍ قَرَأْتُ! (how many books I have read!). Grammarians call this كَمِ الْخَبَرِيَّةُ.
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
كَمْ كِتَابٍ قَرَأْتُ!kam kitaabin qara’tu!How many books I have read!
كَمْ مَرَّةٍ قُلْتُ لَكَ!kam marratin qultu laka!How many times have I told you!
كَمْ مِنْ صَدِيقٍ سَاعَدَنِي!kam min ṣadiiqin saaʿadanii!So many friends have helped me!
كَمْ بَلَدٍ زُرْتَ!kam baladin zurta!How many countries you have visited!
كَمْ كِتَابًا قَرَأْتَ؟kam kitaaban qara’ta?How many books have you read? (a question)
كَمْ مِنْ فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللّٰهِkam min fi’atin qaliilatin ghalabat fi’atan kathiiratan bi-idhni llaahiHow many a small group has overcome a large group by Allah’s permission! (2:249)
Key points
- Compare: كَمْ كِتَابًا قَرَأْتَ؟ (how many books have you read?) is a question, with -an. كَمْ كِتَابٍ قَرَأْتُ! (so many books I have read!) states a fact, with -in.
- You can put مِنْ after it: كَمْ مِنْ صَدِيقٍ سَاعَدَنِي! (how many friends have helped me!). The Quran: كَمْ مِنْ فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللّٰهِ (how many a small group has overcome a large group by Allah’s permission, 2:249).
- It often starts a sentence about experience, or about patience running out: كَمْ مَرَّةٍ قُلْتُ لَكَ! (how many times have I told you!).
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Say “How many times I have visited Madinah!”
كَمْ مَرَّةٍ زُرْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ! kam marratin zurtu l-madiinata!
Ask a man “How many brothers do you have?”
كَمْ أَخًا لَكَ؟ kam akhan laka?
A question, so -an.
Say “So many students have succeeded!” with مِنْ.
كَمْ مِنْ طَالِبٍ نَجَحَ! kam min ṭaalibin najaḥa!
