A family’s boat leaves an hour late, but the return time stays the same. They must choose what to do during their shorter visit to an island.
01Read the Arabic story
رِحْلَةُ قَارِبٍ بَدَأَتْ مُتَأَخِّرَةً
فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ، ذَهَبْتُ مَعَ أُسْرَتِي إِلَى الْمِينَاءِ لِرِحْلَةٍ إِلَى جَزِيرَةٍ قَرِيبَةٍ. كَانَ الْقَارِبُ سَيَنْطَلِقُ فِي السَّاعَةِ التَّاسِعَةِ. أَرَدْنَا زِيَارَةَ مُتْحَفٍ صَغِيرٍ، ثُمَّ تَنَاوُلَ الْغَدَاءِ فِي مَطْعَمٍ وَاللَّعِبَ عَلَى الشَّاطِئِ. حَمَلْتُ كُرَتِي، وَأَخَذَتْ أُخْتِي آلَةَ التَّصْوِيرِ.
وَصَلْنَا مُبَكِّرًا، وَلَكِنَّ الْمُوَظَّفَ قَالَ: «سَتَبْدَأُ الرِّحْلَةُ فِي الْعَاشِرَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْقَارِبَ لَمْ يَصِلْ بَعْدُ». سَأَلَهُ أَبِي: «هَلْ سَيَتَغَيَّرُ مَوْعِدُ الْعَوْدَةِ أَيْضًا؟» قَالَ: «لَا، سَيَنْطَلِقُ قَارِبُ الْعَوْدَةِ مِنَ الْجَزِيرَةِ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ». جَلَسْنَا فِي الظِّلِّ وَانْتَظَرْنَا.
عِنْدَمَا وَصَلْنَا إِلَى الْجَزِيرَةِ، كَانَتِ السَّاعَةُ الْحَادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ. نَظَرْنَا إِلَى الْخَرِيطَةِ، فَوَجَدْنَا أَنَّ الْمُتْحَفَ بَعِيدٌ عَنِ الشَّاطِئِ. قَالَتْ أُمِّي: «لَنْ يَكُونَ عِنْدَنَا وَقْتٌ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ. مَاذَا نَخْتَارُ؟» قَالَتْ أُخْتِي: «أُفَضِّلُ الشَّاطِئَ، وَنَزُورُ الْمُتْحَفَ فِي رِحْلَةٍ أُخْرَى».
وَافَقْنَا، وَاشْتَرَيْنَا شَطَائِرَ مِنْ مَخْبَزٍ قَرِيبٍ بَدَلًا مِنَ الْجُلُوسِ فِي الْمَطْعَمِ. أَكَلْنَا ثُمَّ لَعِبْنَا بِالْكُرَةِ، وَالْتَقَطَتْ أُخْتِي صُوَرًا لِلْبَحْرِ. عُدْنَا إِلَى الْمِينَاءِ قَبْلَ الرَّابِعَةِ بِرُبْعِ سَاعَةٍ. كَانَ يَوْمُنَا أَقْصَرَ مِمَّا خَطَّطْنَا، وَلَكِنَّنَا اسْتَمْتَعْنَا بِهِ، وَلَمْ نَحْتَجْ إِلَى الْجَرْيِ لِلْحَاقِ بِالْقَارِبِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
On Saturday, I went with my family to the harbour for a trip to a nearby island. The boat was going to leave at nine o’clock. We wanted to visit a small museum, then have lunch in a restaurant and play on the beach. I carried my ball, and my sister took the camera.
We arrived early, but the employee said, “The trip will start at ten because the boat has not arrived yet.” My father asked him, “Will the return time change too?” He said, “No, the return boat will leave the island at four.” We sat in the shade and waited.
When we reached the island, it was eleven o’clock. We looked at the map and found that the museum was far from the beach. My mother said, “We will not have time for everything. What shall we choose?” My sister said, “I prefer the beach, and we can visit the museum on another trip.”
We agreed and bought sandwiches from a nearby bakery instead of sitting in the restaurant. We ate, then played with the ball, and my sister took pictures of the sea. We returned to the harbour a quarter of an hour before four. Our day was shorter than we had planned, but we enjoyed it and did not need to run to catch the boat.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| الْمِينَاءِ | the harbour |
| جَزِيرَةٍ | an island |
| سَيَنْطَلِقُ | will leave; will set off |
| الظِّلِّ | the shade |
| الْخَرِيطَةِ | the map |
| نَخْتَارُ | we choose |
| شَطَائِرَ | sandwiches |
| بَدَلًا مِنَ | instead of |
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
- Keep the original departure, delayed departure and unchanged return time separate.
- Follow the choices: the family visits the beach and buys sandwiches, leaving the museum for another trip.
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
قَبْلَ الرَّابِعَةِ بِرُبْعِ سَاعَةٍ
Review whole hours and quarter-hour expressions in the revised timetable.
Because in Arabic: Give a Reason with Lianna
لِأَنَّ الْقَارِبَ لَمْ يَصِلْ بَعْدُ
Connect a delay with its explanation using because.
Arabic Future Tense for Beginners: Talk About Tomorrow
سَيَنْطَلِقُ قَارِبُ الْعَوْدَةِ
Notice how future forms introduce the boat’s planned departure.
