The family is preparing a birthday surprise for Sara when she announces that she is coming home early. A short walk gives everyone time to finish.
01Read the Arabic story
مُفَاجَأَةٌ لِأُخْتِي فِي عِيدِ مِيلَادِهَا
كَانَ يَوْمُ السَّبْتِ عِيدَ مِيلَادِ أُخْتِي سَارَةَ. ذَهَبَتْ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبَةِ بَعْدَ الْغَدَاءِ، فَبَدَأْنَا نُجَهِّزُ لَهَا حَفْلَةً صَغِيرَةً فِي الْبَيْتِ. أَعَدَّتْ أُمِّي الْعَصِيرَ، وَذَهَبَ أَبِي لِشِرَاءِ كَعْكَةٍ. أَمَّا أَخِي فَرَتَّبَ غُرْفَةَ الْجُلُوسِ، وَوَضَعْتُ أَنَا الْهَدِيَّةَ فِي صُنْدُوقٍ مُلَوَّنٍ.
كُنَّا نَنْتَظِرُ سَارَةَ فِي السَّادِسَةِ، لَكِنَّهَا أَرْسَلَتْ رِسَالَةً فِي الرَّابِعَةِ وَالنِّصْفِ: «أَغْلَقَتِ الْمَكْتَبَةُ مُبَكِّرًا الْيَوْمَ، وَأَنَا فِي الطَّرِيقِ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ». لَمْ يَكُنْ أَبِي قَدْ عَادَ، وَكَانَتِ الزِّينَةُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ. قَالَتْ أُمِّي: «قَابِلْ أُخْتَكَ، وَاطْلُبْ مِنْهَا أَنْ تَذْهَبَ مَعَكَ لِشِرَاءِ الْخُبْزِ».
قَابَلْتُ سَارَةَ قُرْبَ الْبَيْتِ وَقُلْتُ: «هَلْ نَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَخْبَزِ مَعًا؟» وَافَقَتْ، وَمَشَيْنَا بِبُطْءٍ. حَدَّثَتْنِي عَنْ كِتَابٍ جَدِيدٍ قَرَأَتْهُ، وَاسْتَمَعْتُ إِلَيْهَا. اِشْتَرَيْنَا الْخُبْزَ، ثُمَّ عُدْنَا فِي الْخَامِسَةِ. خِلَالَ غِيَابِنَا، وَصَلَ أَبِي بِالْكَعْكَةِ، وَأَكْمَلَ أَخِي تَزْيِينَ الْغُرْفَةِ.
عِنْدَمَا فَتَحَتْ سَارَةُ الْبَابَ، قَالَ الْجَمِيعُ: «عِيدُ مِيلَادٍ سَعِيدٌ!» رَأَتِ الْكَعْكَةَ وَالْهَدِيَّةَ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ، فَضَحِكَتْ بِفَرَحٍ. كَانَتِ الْهَدِيَّةُ حَقِيبَةً جَدِيدَةً لِكُتُبِهَا. قَالَتْ: «كُنْتُ أَظُنُّ أَنَّنَا ذَهَبْنَا لِشِرَاءِ الْخُبْزِ فَقَطْ!» جَلَسْنَا مَعًا، وَحَكَيْنَا لَهَا كَيْفَ غَيَّرْنَا خُطَّتَنَا بِسُرْعَةٍ.
Show English translationHide English translation
Saturday was my sister Sara’s birthday. She went to the library after lunch, so we began preparing a small party for her at home. My mother prepared the juice, and my father went to buy a cake. My brother arranged the living room, while I put the present in a colourful box.
We were expecting Sara at six, but she sent a message at half past four: “The library closed early today, and I am on my way home.” My father had not yet returned, and the decorations were on the floor. My mother said, “Meet your sister and ask her to go with you to buy bread.”
I met Sara near the house and said, “Shall we go to the bakery together?” She agreed, and we walked slowly. She told me about a new book she had read, and I listened to her. We bought the bread, then returned at five. While we were away, my father arrived with the cake, and my brother finished decorating the room.
When Sara opened the door, everyone said, “Happy birthday!” She saw the cake and the present on the table and laughed with joy. The present was a new bag for her books. She said, “I thought we had only gone to buy bread!” We sat together and told her how we had changed our plan quickly.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| نُجَهِّزُ | we prepare |
| صُنْدُوقٍ مُلَوَّنٍ | a colourful box |
| مُبَكِّرًا | early |
| الزِّينَةُ | the decorations |
| الْمَخْبَزِ | the bakery |
| بِبُطْءٍ | slowly |
| خِلَالَ غِيَابِنَا | while we were away |
| خُطَّتَنَا | our plan |
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
- A message changes the family’s plan, and a trip to the bakery gives them time to finish the surprise.
- Follow the sequence through ثُمَّ and عِنْدَمَا, and notice how each family member contributes.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Family Members in Arabic: 12 Useful Words
أَعَدَّتْ أُمِّي الْعَصِيرَ
Identify the sister, mother, father and brother and follow their different roles.
Fa and Thumma: Two Ways to Say “Then” in Arabic
ثُمَّ عُدْنَا فِي الْخَامِسَةِ
Follow the order of shopping, returning home and discovering the surprise.
What I Did Yesterday in Arabic: 6 Simple Past-Tense Sentences
جَلَسْنَا مَعًا
Notice the past-tense verbs as the narrator explains what the family did.
