Faris and two friends meet to read a short Arabic story. They take turns, ask for help and discover how much they can understand together.
01Read the Arabic story
نَادِينَا الصَّغِيرُ لِلْقِرَاءَةِ بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ
اِسْمِي فَارِسٌ. فِي يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ أَلْتَقِي بِصَدِيقَيَّ عُمَرَ وَحَسَنٍ فِي الْمَكْتَبَةِ. نُحِبُّ الْقِرَاءَةَ بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ. نَجْلِسُ حَوْلَ طَاوِلَةٍ صَغِيرَةٍ وَنَخْتَارُ قِصَّةً قَصِيرَةً. هِيَ عَنْ وَلَدٍ يَجْمَعُ التُّفَّاحَ فِي حَدِيقَةِ جَدِّهِ.
أَقْرَأُ الْفِقْرَةَ الْأُولَى بِبُطْءٍ، وَصَدِيقَايَ يَسْتَمِعَانِ. ثُمَّ يَقْرَأُ عُمَرُ الْفِقْرَةَ الثَّانِيَةَ. يَتَوَقَّفُ عِنْدَ كَلِمَةٍ وَيَقُولُ: «لَا أَفْهَمُ هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَةَ. هَلْ يُمْكِنُكَ مُسَاعَدَتِي يَا حَسَنُ؟» يَنْظُرُ حَسَنٌ إِلَى الصَّفْحَةِ وَيَقْرَأُ: «سَلَّةٌ».
يَرْسُمُ حَسَنٌ سَلَّةً صَغِيرَةً عَلَى وَرَقَةٍ وَيَقُولُ: «يَضَعُ الْوَلَدُ التُّفَّاحَ فِيهَا». يَبْتَسِمُ عُمَرُ وَيَقُولُ: «الْآنَ أَفْهَمُ. شُكْرًا!» يَكْتُبُ الْكَلِمَةَ بِجَانِبِ الرَّسْمِ. ثُمَّ يَقْرَأُ حَسَنٌ الْفِقْرَةَ الثَّالِثَةَ وَالْأَخِيرَةَ مِنَ الْقِصَّةِ.
أَسْأَلُ: «أَيْنَ يَضَعُ الْوَلَدُ التُّفَّاحَ فِي النِّهَايَةِ؟» يَقُولُ عُمَرُ: «عَلَى طَاوِلَةِ جَدِّهِ!» نَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْجُمْلَةِ الْأَخِيرَةِ؛ الْجَوَابُ صَحِيحٌ. نُغْلِقُ الْكِتَابَ وَنَجْمَعُ أَقْلَامَنَا. فِي الْجُمُعَةِ الْقَادِمَةِ نَقْرَأُ قِصَّةً أُخْرَى. نَادِينَا صَغِيرٌ، وَنَحْنُ سُعَدَاءُ.
Show English translationHide English translation
My name is Faris. On Friday, I meet my two friends Omar and Hasan at the library. We enjoy reading in Arabic. We sit around a small table and choose a short story. It is about a boy who collects apples in his grandfather’s garden.
I read the first paragraph slowly, and my two friends listen. Then Omar reads the second paragraph. He stops at a word and says, “I do not understand this word. Can you help me, Hasan?” Hasan looks at the page and reads, “A basket.”
Hasan draws a small basket on a piece of paper and says, “The boy puts the apples in it.” Omar smiles and says, “Now I understand. Thank you!” He writes the word beside the drawing. Then Hasan reads the third and final paragraph of the story.
I ask, “Where does the boy put the apples at the end?” Omar says, “On his grandfather’s table!” We look at the final sentence; the answer is correct. We close the book and gather our pens. Next Friday, we will read another story. Our club is small, and we are happy.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| صَدِيقَيَّ | my two friends |
| الْمَكْتَبَةِ | the library |
| الْفِقْرَةَ | the paragraph |
| يَتَوَقَّفُ | he stops |
| سَلَّةٌ | a basket |
| الرَّسْمِ | the drawing |
| الْجَوَابُ | the answer |
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
- Separate the three friends reading from the boy inside their chosen story.
- Use the text to check an answer, and ask for help when one word is unclear.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
How to Ask for Help in Arabic: 6 Useful Phrases
هَلْ يُمْكِنُكَ مُسَاعَدَتِي يَا حَسَنُ؟
Practise saying you do not understand and asking someone to help.
10 Common Arabic Verbs for Everyday Actions
يَكْتُبُ الْكَلِمَةَ بِجَانِبِ الرَّسْمِ
Review the reading, writing and understanding verbs used during the club meeting.
Arabic Reading Practice for Beginners: A Short Classroom Paragraph
نَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْجُمْلَةِ الْأَخِيرَةِ؛ الْجَوَابُ صَحِيحٌ
Try another short reading passage and practise checking answers against the Arabic text.
