A parcel appears outside Salma’s door, but its label names someone else. She and a neighbour check the address and find the right home.
01Read the Arabic story
طَرْدٌ فِي الْعُنْوَانِ الْخَطَإِ
عَادَتْ سَلْمَى مِنَ الْعَمَلِ بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ، فَوَجَدَتْ طَرْدًا أَمَامَ بَابِ شَقَّتِهَا. لَمْ تَكُنْ تَنْتَظِرُ أَيَّ طَرْدٍ، فَقَرَأَتِ الِاسْمَ عَلَى الْوَرَقَةِ. كَانَ الْمَكْتُوبُ «مَرْيَمُ حَسَنٌ». قَالَتْ سَلْمَى: «هَذَا الطَّرْدُ لَيْسَ لِي». ثُمَّ نَظَرَتْ إِلَى الْعُنْوَانِ بِدِقَّةٍ.
كَانَ رَقْمُ الْبِنَايَةِ عَلَى الطَّرْدِ ثَلَاثِينَ، وَرَقْمُ شَقَّةِ مَرْيَمَ أَرْبَعَةً. أَمَّا سَلْمَى فَتَسْكُنُ فِي الشَّقَّةِ الرَّابِعَةِ أَيْضًا، وَلَكِنْ فِي الْبِنَايَةِ الْعِشْرِينَ. طَرَقَتْ بَابَ جَارِهَا وَسَأَلَتْهُ: «هَلْ تَعْرِفُ أَيْنَ تَسْكُنُ مَرْيَمُ حَسَنٌ؟ وَصَلَ طَرْدُهَا إِلَى بَابِي بِالْخَطَإِ».
قَالَ الْجَارُ: «نَعَمْ، تَسْكُنُ فِي الْبِنَايَةِ الْمُقَابِلَةِ، بِجَانِبِ الْمَخْبَزِ. سَأَذْهَبُ مَعَكِ». حَمَلَ الطَّرْدَ، وَذَهَبَ مَعَ سَلْمَى إِلَى الْبِنَايَةِ الثَّلَاثِينَ. تَأَكَّدَا مِنَ الرَّقْمِ فَوْقَ الْمَدْخَلِ، ثُمَّ وَجَدَا الشَّقَّةَ الرَّابِعَةَ وَطَرَقَا الْبَابَ. فَتَحَتْ مَرْيَمُ، وَرَأَتِ الطَّرْدَ فِي يَدِ الْجَارِ.
قَالَتْ سَلْمَى: «وَجَدْتُ هَذَا أَمَامَ بَابِي. هَلْ هُوَ لَكِ؟» قَرَأَتْ مَرْيَمُ الِاسْمَ وَالْعُنْوَانَ وَقَالَتْ: «نَعَمْ! فِيهِ كُتُبٌ طَلَبْتُهَا قَبْلَ أُسْبُوعٍ». شَكَرَتْهُمَا عَلَى مُسَاعَدَتِهِمَا، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَتْ رِسَالَةً إِلَى شَرِكَةِ التَّوْصِيلِ لِتُوَضِّحَ رَقْمَ بِنَايَتِهَا. عَادَتْ سَلْمَى وَجَارُهَا إِلَى بَيْتَيْهِمَا سَعِيدَيْنِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
Salma returned from work in the afternoon and found a parcel outside her apartment door. She was not expecting any parcel, so she read the name on the label. It said “Maryam Hasan.” Salma said, “This parcel is not mine.” Then she looked carefully at the address.
The building number on the parcel was thirty, and Maryam’s apartment number was four. Salma also lived in the fourth apartment, but in building twenty. She knocked on her neighbour’s door and asked him, “Do you know where Maryam Hasan lives? Her parcel arrived at my door by mistake.”
The neighbour said, “Yes, she lives in the building opposite, beside the bakery. I will go with you.” He carried the parcel and went with Salma to building thirty. They checked the number above the entrance, then found the fourth apartment and knocked on the door. Maryam opened it and saw the parcel in the neighbour’s hand.
Salma said, “I found this outside my door. Is it yours?” Maryam read the name and address and said, “Yes! It contains books I ordered a week ago.” She thanked them both for their help, then sent a message to the delivery company to clarify her building number. Salma and her neighbour returned to their homes happily.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| طَرْدًا | a parcel |
| شَقَّتِهَا | her apartment |
| الْعُنْوَانِ | the address |
| بِدِقَّةٍ | carefully |
| بِالْخَطَإِ | by mistake |
| الْبِنَايَةِ الْمُقَابِلَةِ | the building opposite |
| فَوْقَ الْمَدْخَلِ | above the entrance |
| شَرِكَةِ التَّوْصِيلِ | the delivery company |
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
- The apartment numbers match, but the building numbers differ; checking the full address helps the neighbours find Maryam.
- Use location phrases such as بِجَانِبِ and فَوْقَ to follow the directions and the check at the entrance.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Arabic Prepositions: In, On, Under and Next To
بِجَانِبِ الْمَخْبَزِ
Follow the parcel from an apartment door to the building beside the bakery.
Arabic Question Words: Who, What, Where, When, and Why
أَيْنَ تَسْكُنُ مَرْيَمُ حَسَنٌ؟
Understand how Salma asks where Maryam lives.
Arabic Ordinal Numbers: First to Tenth with Simple Examples
الشَّقَّةِ الرَّابِعَةِ
Connect apartment number four with the expression the fourth apartment.
