Quantities
You can specify a quantity in several ways:
- measures - metres, kilos etc
- numbers
- containers - packs, bottles etc
- approximate amounts - a little, a lot etc
Measures
For weights, lengths and other measurements, you use a number followed by a singular noun.
| Ahmed is 1m90 tall |  'ahmad Toolooh mitr 1 wa 90 santiaacHmad Twlwh mitr 1 wa 90 santyأحمـَد طولوه مـِتر ١ و َ ٩٠ سـَنتي |
| this bag is 20 pounds | ilshanTa dih bi Aishreen gineehiil-shanTao dih bi Aishryn ginyh ا ِلشـَنطـَة د ِه ب ِ عـِشرين جـِنيه |
| 2 kilos of potatoes, please | 'itneen keelw baTaaTis, law samahtiictnyn kylw baTaaTis, law samaHt إتنين كيلو بـَطا َطـِس، لـَو سـَمـَحت |
| I want a hundred grams of salami | Aaayiz meet garam salaamiAaayiz myt garam salaamy عا َيـِز ميت جـَر َم سـَلا َمي |
| I need a quarter kilo of butter | mihtaag rubaA keelw zibdamiHtaag rubaA kylw zibdao مـِحتا َج ر ُبـَع كيلو ز ِبد َة |
| the truck brought eight tonnes of water | ilAarabiya gaabit tamanya Tun mayaatiil-Aarabiyao gaabit tamaanyao Tun mayaao ا ِلعـَر َبـِيـَة جا َبـِت تـَما َنيـَة طـُن مـَيا َة |
Numbers
See the section in numbers for more information about this.
Containers
If you want something in a container of some sort: carton, bottle, etc, you use the genitive of the container. The main effect of this is that words ending in tee-marbuta -a_ao ــَة are pronounced -it_it ــِت. Here are some examples:
| you must take one spoonful of medicine | laazim taKuz maAla'it dawa'laazim taKudh maAlaqio dawaaC لا َز ِم تـَخـُذ مـَعلـَقـِة د َوا َء |
| I want a pack of cigarettes | Aaayiz Aalbit sagaayarAaayiz Aalbio sagaayar عا َيـِز عـَلبـِة سـَجا َيـَر |
| a bottle of water, please | 'izzaazit maaya, law samahtiiczzaazio maayao, law samaHt إزّا َز ِة ما َيـَة، لـَو سـَمـَحت |
A/an and Some
In English, if you are talk about one non-specific instance that is countable you would use the indefinite article a or an, for example a book or an apple. There is no equivalent of a/an or some in Egyptian arabic.
Likewise, when you are talking about an unspecified amount something that is
not countable, you say some sugar. Again, there is no equivalent in
Egyptian Arabic. You can specify a quantity, for example shuwayitshuwayio
Approximate measures
| tea without sugar | shaai meen Geer sukkarshaay myn Gyr sukkar شا َي مين غير سـُكّـَر |
| normal tea (with three sugar) | shaai mazbooTshaay mazbwT شا َي مـَزبوط |
| weak tea | shaai Kafeefshaay Kafyf شا َي خـَفيف |
| strong tea | shaai ti'eelshaay tiqyl شا َي تـِقيل |
| a little milk | shuwayit labanshuwayio laban شـُو َيـِة لـَبـَن |
| I don't have enough money | maAandeesh filoos kifaayamaAandysh filws kifaayao مـَعـَنديش فـِلوس كـِفا َيـَة |
| he has a lot of money | Aanduh filoos kiteerAanduh filws kityr عـَند ُه فـِلوس كـِتير |
| you have a lot of friends informal | Aandak 'aShaab yaamaAandak aacSHaab yaamaa عـَند َك أصحا َب يا َما َ |