Faris wants a bicycle for his journey to work. Two different prices make him look carefully at the condition of each bicycle before choosing.
01Read the Arabic story
شِرَاءُ دَرَّاجَةٍ مُسْتَعْمَلَةٍ
كَانَ فَارِسٌ يَذْهَبُ إِلَى عَمَلِهِ بِالْحَافِلَةِ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ، وَلَكِنَّهُ كَانَ يَنْتَظِرُهَا طَوِيلًا. قَرَّرَ أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَ دَرَّاجَةً مُسْتَعْمَلَةً؛ فَعَمَلُهُ لَيْسَ بَعِيدًا عَنْ بَيْتِهِ. يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، ذَهَبَ إِلَى مَحَلٍّ قَرِيبٍ مَعَ أَخِيهِ، وَمَعَهُ مِئَتَانِ وَخَمْسُونَ رِيَالًا.
رَأَى دَرَّاجَتَيْنِ، وَاحِدَةً حَمْرَاءَ وَالْأُخْرَى زَرْقَاءَ. سَأَلَ الْبَائِعَ: «بِكَمْ هَذِهِ الْحَمْرَاءُ؟» فَقَالَ: «بِمِئَةٍ وَخَمْسِينَ رِيَالًا، وَلَكِنَّ مَقْعَدَهَا قَدِيمٌ وَتَحْتَاجُ إِلَى إِطَارٍ جَدِيدٍ». أَمَّا الزَّرْقَاءُ فَكَانَ ثَمَنُهَا مِئَتَيْ رِيَالٍ، وَكَانَتْ فِي حَالَةٍ جَيِّدَةٍ.
قَالَ فَارِسٌ: «هَلْ أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أُجَرِّبَ الزَّرْقَاءَ؟» وَافَقَ الْبَائِعُ، فَرَكِبَهَا فَارِسٌ فِي سَاحَةِ الْمَحَلِّ. جَرَّبَ الْفَرَامِلَ وَنَظَرَ إِلَى الْإِطَارَيْنِ. كَانَ الْمَقْعَدُ مُرِيحًا وَالْفَرَامِلُ تَعْمَلُ جَيِّدًا. قَالَ لِأَخِيهِ: «هِيَ أَغْلَى مِنَ الْحَمْرَاءِ، وَلَكِنَّهَا لَا تَحْتَاجُ إِلَى إِصْلَاحٍ».
اِشْتَرَى فَارِسٌ الدَّرَّاجَةَ الزَّرْقَاءَ وَقُفْلًا بِعِشْرِينَ رِيَالًا. فِي صَبَاحِ الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي، خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ مُبَكِّرًا وَذَهَبَ بِهَا إِلَى الْعَمَلِ. وَصَلَ قَبْلَ الْمَوْعِدِ بِعَشْرِ دَقَائِقَ، وَرَبَطَهَا أَمَامَ الْمَبْنَى. شَعَرَ بِالسَّعَادَةِ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَنْتَظِرِ الْحَافِلَةَ هَذَا الصَّبَاحَ.
Show English translationHide English translation
Faris used to go to work by bus every morning, but he would wait a long time for it. He decided to buy a used bicycle, as his workplace was not far from his home. On Friday, he went to a nearby shop with his brother. He had two hundred and fifty riyals with him.
He saw two bicycles, one red and the other blue. He asked the seller, “How much is this red one?” The seller said, “One hundred and fifty riyals, but its seat is old and it needs a new tyre.” The blue one cost two hundred riyals and was in good condition.
Faris said, “Can I try the blue one?” The seller agreed, so Faris rode it in the shop’s yard. He tested the brakes and looked at both tyres. The seat was comfortable, and the brakes worked well. He said to his brother, “It is more expensive than the red one, but it does not need repairs.”
Faris bought the blue bicycle and a lock for twenty riyals. The next morning, he left home early and rode it to work. He arrived ten minutes before the starting time and secured it in front of the building. He felt happy because he had not waited for the bus that morning.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| مُسْتَعْمَلَةً | used; second-hand |
| الْبَائِعَ | the seller |
| ثَمَنُهَا | its price |
| إِطَارٍ | a tyre |
| الْفَرَامِلَ | the brakes |
| مُرِيحًا | comfortable |
| أَغْلَى | more expensive |
| إِصْلَاحٍ | repair |
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 money Faris brings, each bicycle’s price and the price of the lock.
- Use more expensive than and but to understand why condition matters in his choice.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Shopping in Arabic: Ask Prices and Choose What You Need
بِكَمْ هَذِهِ الْحَمْرَاءُ؟
Practise asking a seller the price of a particular item.
Arabic Comparatives: Bigger Than and Better Than
هِيَ أَغْلَى مِنَ الْحَمْرَاءِ
Build comparisons like the one Faris makes between the two bicycles.
Because in Arabic: Give a Reason with Lianna
لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَنْتَظِرِ الْحَافِلَةَ هَذَا الصَّبَاحَ
Connect a feeling with its reason using because.
