Samir finds a seat beside the bus window. A new passenger changes his journey, and a small act of kindness leads to a friendly conversation.
01Read the Arabic story
مَقْعَدٌ فِي الْحَافِلَةِ
اِسْمِي سَمِيرٌ. أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ بِالْحَافِلَةِ. السَّاعَةُ السَّابِعَةُ صَبَاحًا. أَحْمِلُ حَقِيبَتِي الزَّرْقَاءَ وَأَنْتَظِرُ عِنْدَ الْمَحَطَّةِ. تَصِلُ الْحَافِلَةُ، فَأَصْعَدُ وَأُحَيِّي السَّائِقَ. أَجِدُ مَقْعَدًا بِجَانِبِ النَّافِذَةِ. أَجْلِسُ وَأَضَعُ حَقِيبَتِي عَلَى رُكْبَتَيَّ. أَرَى الْمَحَلَّاتِ وَالْأَشْجَارَ مِنَ النَّافِذَةِ.
فِي الْمَحَطَّةِ التَّالِيَةِ، يَصْعَدُ رَجُلٌ كَبِيرٌ فِي السِّنِّ. يَحْمِلُ كِيسًا صَغِيرًا، وَلَا يَجِدُ مَقْعَدًا. أَقِفُ وَأَقُولُ: «تَفَضَّلْ، هَذَا الْمَقْعَدُ لَكَ». يَجْلِسُ الرَّجُلُ وَيَقُولُ: «شُكْرًا يَا بُنَيَّ». أَقِفُ بِجَانِبِهِ وَأُمْسِكُ بِالْمِقْبَضِ.
يَسْأَلُنِي الرَّجُلُ عَنِ الْمَدْرَسَةِ، فَأُحَدِّثُهُ عَنْ صَفِّي. بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ، يَنْزِلُ رَاكِبٌ آخَرُ. أَجْلِسُ أَمَامَ الرَّجُلِ. عِنْدَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ، أَحْمِلُ حَقِيبَتِي وَأَقُولُ لَهُ: «مَعَ السَّلَامَةِ». أَنْزِلُ مِنَ الْحَافِلَةِ وَأَنَا سَعِيدٌ.
Show English translationHide English translation
My name is Samir. I go to school by bus. It is seven o’clock in the morning. I carry my blue bag and wait at the stop. The bus arrives, so I get on and greet the driver. I find a seat beside the window. I sit down and put my bag on my knees. I see the shops and trees through the window.
At the next stop, an elderly man gets on. He carries a small bag and cannot find a seat. I stand up and say, “Please, this seat is for you.” The man sits down and says, “Thank you, my boy.” I stand beside him and hold on to the handle.
The man asks me about school, so I tell him about my class. A little later, another passenger gets off. I sit in front of the man. At the school, I pick up my bag and say to him, “Goodbye.” I get off the bus feeling happy.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| بِالْحَافِلَةِ | by bus |
| مَقْعَدًا | a seat |
| النَّافِذَةِ | the window |
| كَبِيرٌ فِي السِّنِّ | elderly; old in age |
| أَقِفُ | I stand up; I stand |
| الْمِقْبَضِ | the handle |
| يَنْزِلُ | gets off |
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 seats in order: Samir first sits beside the window, gives up that seat, then sits in front of the man.
- The journey combines a destination, إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ, with transport, بِالْحَافِلَةِ.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Transport in Arabic: 8 Words for Getting Around
أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ بِالْحَافِلَةِ
Review the bus, stop and travel phrase used on Samir’s school journey.
Arabic Prepositions: In, On, Under and Next To
بِجَانِبِ النَّافِذَةِ
Notice how the location phrase identifies Samir’s first seat.
Telling the Time in Arabic: Hours, Half Past and Quarter Past
السَّاعَةُ السَّابِعَةُ صَبَاحًا
Practise the morning time at the beginning of the bus journey.
