Dinner is ready, but one chair is empty. Follow Sami’s sister through the house and use time and place clues to find him.
01Read the Arabic story
الْعَشَاءُ جَاهِزٌ، أَيْنَ سَامٍ؟
أَنَا أُخْتُ سَامٍ. السَّاعَةُ السَّابِعَةُ مَسَاءً. أَقِفُ فِي الْمَطْبَخِ مَعَ أُمِّي. الْعَشَاءُ جَاهِزٌ. عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ أَرُزٌّ وَدَجَاجٌ وَسَلَطَةٌ. أَضَعُ الْأَطْبَاقَ وَأَجْلِسُ بِجَانِبِ أَبِي. أُمِّي تَأْتِي بِالْمَاءِ. وَلَكِنَّ كُرْسِيَّ أَخِي فَارِغٌ. أَيْنَ سَامٍ؟
أَذْهَبُ إِلَى غُرْفَتِهِ. الْبَابُ مَفْتُوحٌ، وَلَكِنَّ الْغُرْفَةَ فَارِغَةٌ. كِتَابُهُ عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ، وَكُرَتُهُ تَحْتَ السَّرِيرِ. أَبْحَثُ عَنْهُ فِي غُرْفَةِ الْجُلُوسِ. هُوَ لَيْسَ هُنَاكَ. أُنَادِي: «يَا سَامِي، أَيْنَ أَنْتَ؟» أَسْمَعُ صَوْتَهُ مِنَ الْحَدِيقَةِ.
أَفْتَحُ الْبَابَ وَأَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْحَدِيقَةِ. أَخِي بِجَانِبِ الْأَزْهَارِ. فِي يَدِهِ إِبْرِيقُ مَاءٍ. يَقُولُ: «أَسْقِي الْأَزْهَارَ. الْجَوُّ حَارٌّ الْيَوْمَ». أَقُولُ: «الْعَشَاءُ جَاهِزٌ. نَنْتَظِرُكَ!» يَبْتَسِمُ وَيَضَعُ الْإِبْرِيقَ بِجَانِبِ الْبَابِ.
نَرْجِعُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ. يَغْسِلُ أَخِي يَدَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُ مَعَنَا. يَقُولُ: «آسِفٌ، أَنَا مُتَأَخِّرٌ». تَقُولُ أُمِّي: «أَهْلًا بِكَ!» نَأْكُلُ الْعَشَاءَ وَنَتَحَدَّثُ. الْكُرْسِيُّ لَيْسَ فَارِغًا الْآنَ، وَكُلُّنَا مَعًا.
Show English translationHide English translation
I am Sami’s sister. It is seven o’clock in the evening. I stand in the kitchen with my mother. Dinner is ready. There is rice, chicken and salad on the table. I put out the plates and sit beside my father. My mother brings the water. But my brother’s chair is empty. Where is Sami?
I go to his room. The door is open, but the room is empty. His book is on the desk, and his ball is under the bed. I look for him in the living room. He is not there. I call, “Sami, where are you?” I hear his voice from the garden.
I open the door and look into the garden. My brother is beside the flowers. There is a jug of water in his hand. He says, “I am watering the flowers. The weather is hot today.” I say, “Dinner is ready. We are waiting for you!” He smiles and puts the jug beside the door.
We return inside. My brother washes his hands, then sits with us. He says, “Sorry, I am late.” My mother says, “Welcome!” We eat dinner and talk. The chair is not empty now, and we are all together.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| جَاهِزٌ | ready |
| فَارِغٌ | empty |
| أَبْحَثُ عَنْهُ | I look for him |
| أُنَادِي | I call out |
| أَسْقِي الْأَزْهَارَ | I water the flowers |
| إِبْرِيقُ مَاءٍ | a jug of water |
| مُتَأَخِّرٌ | late |
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
- Track the search from the bedroom to the living room and then the garden.
- The empty chair at the beginning is occupied when the family eats together.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Telling the Time in Arabic: Hours, Half Past and Quarter Past
السَّاعَةُ السَّابِعَةُ مَسَاءً
Practise the evening time that opens the family’s dinner story.
Arabic Prepositions: In, On, Under and Next To
تَحْتَ السَّرِيرِ
Follow the clues by comparing on, under and beside.
Food and Drinks in Arabic: 15 Words for Everyday Meals
أَرُزٌّ وَدَجَاجٌ وَسَلَطَةٌ
Review rice and salad from the family’s evening meal.
