Khalid and his family prepare for a cousin’s wedding in another town. They organise the journey, pack a gift and look forward to seeing relatives again.
01Read the Arabic story
زِفَافٌ عَائِلِيٌّ فِي بَلْدَةٍ أُخْرَى
تَلَقَّى خَالِدٌ دَعْوَةً إِلَى حَفْلِ زِفَافِ ابْنِ عَمِّهِ فِي بَلْدَةٍ أُخْرَى. كَانَ الْحَفْلُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ فِي السَّاعَةِ السَّادِسَةِ مَسَاءً. قَرَّرَ أَنْ يُسَافِرَ مَعَ وَالِدَيْهِ وَأُخْتِهِ بِالسَّيَّارَةِ. قَالَ أَبُوهُ: «تَسْتَغْرِقُ الرِّحْلَةُ سَاعَتَيْنِ، لِذَلِكَ سَنَنْطَلِقُ فِي السَّاعَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ».
فِي مَسَاءِ الْخَمِيسِ، جَهَّزَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مَلَابِسَهُ وَحَقِيبَتَهُ الصَّغِيرَةَ. وَاشْتَرَتْ أُمُّهُ سَاعَةً جَمِيلَةً لِلْبَيْتِ الْجَدِيدِ. وَضَعَتْهَا فِي صُنْدُوقٍ، وَكَتَبَ خَالِدٌ بِطَاقَةَ تَهْنِئَةٍ. وَضَعُوا الْهَدِيَّةَ قُرْبَ الْحَقَائِبِ حَتَّى لَا يَنْسَوْهَا عِنْدَ الْخُرُوجِ. قَرَأَ خَالِدٌ عُنْوَانَ الْقَاعَةِ مِنَ الدَّعْوَةِ وَكَتَبَهُ فِي هَاتِفِهِ.
فِي الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي، خَرَجُوا فِي الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي اِتَّفَقُوا عَلَيْهِ. وَصَلُوا إِلَى الْقَاعَةِ فِي الْخَامِسَةِ، وَكَانَ عَمُّهُ يَنْتَظِرُهُمْ عِنْدَ الْبَابِ. قَالَ خَالِدٌ: «لَمْ أَرَكَ مُنْذُ عَامٍ!» جَلَسُوا مَعَهُ قَلِيلًا قَبْلَ بَدْءِ الْحَفْلِ. ثُمَّ رَأَى خَالِدٌ أَبْنَاءَ عَمِّهِ، وَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنِ الدِّرَاسَةِ وَالْعَمَلِ.
هَنَّأَ خَالِدٌ ابْنَ عَمِّهِ وَقَدَّمَ لَهُ الْهَدِيَّةَ. فَرِحَ ابْنُ عَمِّهِ بِالسَّاعَةِ وَشَكَرَ الْعَائِلَةَ. بَعْدَ الْعَشَاءِ، اِجْتَمَعَ الْأَقَارِبُ لِصُورَةٍ عَائِلِيَّةٍ. وَعِنْدَمَا اِنْتَهَى الْحَفْلُ، ذَهَبُوا إِلَى بَيْتِ عَمِّهِ لِلْمَبِيتِ. قَالَ أَبُوهُ: «سَنَعُودُ غَدًا بَعْدَ الْفُطُورِ». كَانَ خَالِدٌ مُتْعَبًا، وَلَكِنَّهُ كَانَ سَعِيدًا بِلِقَاءِ الْعَائِلَةِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
Khalid received an invitation to his cousin’s wedding in another town. The celebration was on Friday at six in the evening. He decided to travel by car with his parents and sister. His father said, “The journey takes two hours, so we will leave at three.”
On Thursday evening, everyone prepared their clothes and small bag. His mother bought a beautiful clock for the new home. She put it in a box, and Khalid wrote a congratulatory card. They placed the gift near the bags so that they would not forget it when leaving. Khalid read the hall’s address from the invitation and wrote it in his phone.
The next day, they left at the time they had agreed on. They reached the hall at five, and his uncle was waiting for them at the door. Khalid said, “I have not seen you for a year!” They sat with him for a little while before the celebration began. Then Khalid saw his cousins and asked them about their studies and work.
Khalid congratulated his cousin and gave him the gift. His cousin was pleased with the clock and thanked the family. After dinner, the relatives gathered for a family picture. When the celebration ended, they went to his uncle’s home to stay overnight. His father said, “We will return tomorrow after breakfast.” Khalid was tired, but he was happy to have met the family.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| دَعْوَةً | an invitation |
| حَفْلِ زِفَافِ | a wedding celebration |
| وَالِدَيْهِ | his parents |
| بِطَاقَةَ تَهْنِئَةٍ | a congratulatory card |
| عُنْوَانَ الْقَاعَةِ | the hall’s address |
| هَنَّأَ | he congratulated |
| الْأَقَارِبُ | the relatives |
| لِلْمَبِيتِ | to stay overnight |
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 Thursday’s preparations, Friday’s journey and celebration, and the planned return the next morning.
- Notice the family relationship words and how the address, gift and departure time help the trip go smoothly.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Family Members in Arabic: 12 Useful Words
مَعَ وَالِدَيْهِ وَأُخْتِهِ
Review the family words for the parents, sister, uncle and cousins in Khalid’s trip.
Telling the Time in Arabic: Hours, Half Past and Quarter Past
فِي السَّاعَةِ السَّادِسَةِ مَسَاءً
Distinguish the departure, arrival and celebration times.
Arabic Future Tense for Beginners: Talk About Tomorrow
سَنَعُودُ غَدًا بَعْدَ الْفُطُورِ
Recognise the future prefix in the father’s plan to return home.
