When the lights go out, Nabil’s family gathers around a small lamp. A guessing game turns their quiet evening into a shared adventure.
01Read the Arabic story
مَسَاءٌ بِلَا كَهْرَبَاءَ
اِسْمِي نَبِيلٌ. أَجْلِسُ مَعَ أُسْرَتِي فِي غُرْفَةِ الْجُلُوسِ. السَّاعَةُ الثَّامِنَةُ مَسَاءً. أَقْرَأُ كِتَابًا، وَأُخْتِي تَرْسُمُ زَهْرَةً. فَجْأَةً يَنْطَفِئُ النُّورُ. أَقُولُ: «أَيْنَ الْمِصْبَاحُ الصَّغِيرُ؟» تَقُولُ أُمِّي: «هُوَ فِي الْخِزَانَةِ».
يَأْخُذُ أَبِي الْمِصْبَاحَ وَيَضَعُهُ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ. يَعْمَلُ الْمِصْبَاحُ بِالْبَطَّارِيَّاتِ. نَجْلِسُ حَوْلَهُ، وَأَقُولُ: «عِنْدِي لُعْبَةٌ! أُفَكِّرُ فِي شَيْءٍ فِي هَذِهِ الْغُرْفَةِ. أَنْتُمْ تَسْأَلُونَ، وَأَنَا أُجِيبُ بِنَعَمْ أَوْ لَا». تَبْتَسِمُ أُخْتِي.
تَسْأَلُ أُخْتِي: «هَلْ هُوَ كَبِيرٌ؟» أَقُولُ: «لَا». يَسْأَلُ أَبِي: «هَلْ هُوَ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ؟» أَقُولُ: «نَعَمْ». تَسْأَلُ أُمِّي: «هَلْ هُوَ كِتَابٌ؟» أَقُولُ: «لَا. نَكْتُبُ بِهِ». تَقُولُ أُخْتِي: «هُوَ قَلَمٌ!» أَقُولُ: «صَحِيحٌ!»
الْآنَ أُخْتِي تُفَكِّرُ فِي شَيْءٍ، وَنَحْنُ نَسْأَلُ. نَضْحَكُ وَنَلْعَبُ مَعًا. بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ يَعُودُ النُّورُ. أُغْلِقُ كِتَابِي وَأَضَعُهُ بِجَانِبِي. أَقُولُ: «هَلْ نَلْعَبُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى؟» يَقُولُ الْجَمِيعُ: «نَعَمْ!» لَيْلَتُنَا جَمِيلَةٌ مَعًا.
Show English translationHide English translation
My name is Nabil. I am sitting with my family in the living room. It is eight o’clock in the evening. I am reading a book, and my sister is drawing a flower. Suddenly, the light goes out. I say, “Where is the small lamp?” My mother says, “It is in the cupboard.”
My father takes the lamp and puts it on the table. The lamp runs on batteries. We sit around it, and I say, “I have a game! I am thinking of something in this room. You ask questions, and I answer yes or no.” My sister smiles.
My sister asks, “Is it big?” I say, “No.” My father asks, “Is it on the table?” I say, “Yes.” My mother asks, “Is it a book?” I say, “No. We write with it.” My sister says, “It is a pen!” I say, “Correct!”
Now my sister is thinking of something, and we ask questions. We laugh and play together. A little later, the light comes back on. I close my book and put it beside me. I say, “Shall we play again?” Everyone says, “Yes!” Our evening together is lovely.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| يَنْطَفِئُ | goes out |
| الْخِزَانَةِ | the cupboard |
| الْمِصْبَاحَ | the lamp |
| بِالْبَطَّارِيَّاتِ | on batteries |
| لُعْبَةٌ | a game |
| نَكْتُبُ | we write |
| مَرَّةً أُخْرَى | again |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story when you need a clue. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- Use the yes-or-no answers to identify the hidden object.
- Follow the change from reading alone to playing together.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Yes or No Questions in Arabic: Ask and Answer with Hal
هَلْ هُوَ كَبِيرٌ؟
Practise the hal questions and yes-or-no answers used in the guessing game.
Rooms and Furniture in Arabic: 15 Words for Your Home
يَأْخُذُ أَبِي الْمِصْبَاحَ وَيَضَعُهُ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ
Review the living room, cupboard, lamp and table named in the story.
Family Members in Arabic: 12 Useful Words
تَبْتَسِمُ أُخْتِي
Review the words for my father, my mother and my sister.
