How do you express totality in Arabic?
First, we have the word كُلّ (kull), which can mean either “every” or “all” depending on what follows it.
When used with a singular, indefinite noun, it means “each / every”, as in:
When used with a singular, definite noun, it means “all of / all / the whole”, as in:
If you place the preposition من (min – “of”) between كُلّ and the word, it gives the meaning of “both / each”.
Example:
“In both France and England” → في كل من فرنسا وإنجلترا (fi kulli min faransa wa injiltira).
Second, we have the word جميع (jami’a), meaning “all / the totality of”.
Finally, we have the word كافّة (kaaffah), which means “totality / all”.
Let’s look at some examples:
Now we’re moving on to كِلا / كِلاي (kilay / kila) for the masculine, and كِلتا / كِلتَي (kiltay / kilta) for the feminine.
They mean “both / both of”, and always refer to two things.
Why do we have pairs for both masculine and feminine?
Simple, because they are used like this:
Let’s look at some examples where they are followed by a definite dual noun in the genitive case:
Let’s look at some examples where they are followed by a dual pronoun suffix, to see how their form changes:
Easy cheatsheet to remember
كُلّ (kull)
With singular indefinite → each / every
With singular definite → all of / the whole
With من → both / each
جميع (jami’a)
all / the totality of
Common in formal Arabic (writing, media, speeches)
كافّة (kaffa)
all / the entirety
Emphasises totality, often used for groups or categories
كِلا / كِلتا
- mean “both / both of”, always referring to two things
- used when the following noun is in the nominative case (subject).
كِلي / كِلتَي
- mean “both / both of”, always referring to two things
used when the following noun is in the accusative or genitive case (object of a verb or after a preposition).
