Salim returns to his family’s village after moving to the city for university. A conversation with his brother helps him describe what he enjoys in both places.
01Read the Arabic story
بَيْنَ قَرْيَتِي وَالْمَدِينَةِ
عَاشَ سَلِيمٌ مَعَ أُسْرَتِهِ فِي قَرْيَةٍ صَغِيرَةٍ، ثُمَّ انْتَقَلَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لِلدِّرَاسَةِ فِي الْجَامِعَةِ. اِسْتَأْجَرَ غُرْفَةً مَعَ طَالِبَيْنِ قُرْبَ مَحَطَّةِ الْحَافِلَاتِ. بَعْدَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَشْهُرٍ، عَادَ إِلَى قَرْيَتِهِ لِيَقْضِيَ عُطْلَةَ نِهَايَةِ الْأُسْبُوعِ. اِسْتَقْبَلَهُ أَخُوهُ عِنْدَ الْبَابِ وَحَمَلَ عَنْهُ الْحَقِيبَةَ.
فِي الصَّبَاحِ، سَاعَدَ سَلِيمٌ أَبَاهُ فِي سَقْيِ الْحَدِيقَةِ خَلْفَ الْبَيْتِ. ثُمَّ جَلَسَ مَعَ أَخِيهِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ وَقَالَ: «اِشْتَقْتُ إِلَى هَذَا الْمَكَانِ. غُرْفَتِي هُنَا أَهْدَأُ مِنْ غُرْفَتِي فِي الْمَدِينَةِ». سَأَلَهُ أَخُوهُ: «وَهَلْ تُحِبُّ حَيَاتَكَ الْجَدِيدَةَ؟» أَجَابَ سَلِيمٌ: «نَعَمْ، وَلَهَا أَشْيَاءُ أُحِبُّهَا أَيْضًا».
حَكَى سَلِيمٌ عَنِ الْمَكْتَبَةِ الْقَرِيبَةِ مِنْ جَامِعَتِهِ. يَذْهَبُ إِلَيْهَا بَعْدَ الدُّرُوسِ وَيَسْتَعِيرُ كُتُبًا. وَقَالَ: «تَعَرَّفْتُ عَلَى أَصْدِقَاءَ جُدُدٍ، وَنَطْبُخُ أَحْيَانًا مَعًا فِي الْمَسَاءِ. أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْحَافِلَةِ لِلْوُصُولِ إِلَى الْجَامِعَةِ، وَلَكِنَّ الْمَتْجَرَ مُقَابِلَ بَيْتِي». اِسْتَمَعَ أَخُوهُ وَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ زَمِيلَيْهِ فِي الْغُرْفَةِ.
قَبْلَ عَوْدَتِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، أَعْطَتْهُ أُمُّهُ صُنْدُوقًا صَغِيرًا مِنَ التَّمْرِ لِيُشَارِكَهُ مَعَ زَمِيلَيْهِ. قَالَ سَلِيمٌ: «أُحِبُّ حَدِيقَتَنَا وَالْجُلُوسَ مَعَكُمْ، وَأُحِبُّ دِرَاسَتِي وَأَصْدِقَائِي هُنَاكَ». وَضَعَ الصُّنْدُوقَ فِي حَقِيبَتِهِ وَوَدَّعَ أُسْرَتَهُ. وَعَدَ أَخَاهُ بِزِيَارَةٍ أُخْرَى بَعْدَ شَهْرٍ، ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَى مَوْقِفِ الْحَافِلَةِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
Salim lived with his family in a small village, then moved to the city to study at university. He rented a room with two students near the bus station. After three months, he returned to his village to spend the weekend there. His brother welcomed him at the door and carried his bag for him.
In the morning, Salim helped his father water the garden behind the house. Then he sat with his brother under a tree and said, “I missed this place. My room here is quieter than my room in the city.” His brother asked, “And do you like your new life?” Salim answered, “Yes, there are things I like about it too.”
Salim talked about the library near his university. He goes there after classes and borrows books. He said, “I have made new friends, and we sometimes cook together in the evening. I need the bus to get to university, but the shop is opposite my home.” His brother listened and asked about his two roommates.
Before Salim returned to the city, his mother gave him a small box of dates to share with his two roommates. Salim said, “I love our garden and sitting with you, and I love my studies and my friends there.” He put the box in his bag and said goodbye to his family. He promised his brother another visit in a month, then went to the bus stop.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| ثُمَّ انْتَقَلَ | then moved |
| اِسْتَأْجَرَ | rented |
| سَقْيِ الْحَدِيقَةِ | watering the garden |
| اِشْتَقْتُ | I missed |
| أَهْدَأُ مِنْ | quieter than |
| يَسْتَعِيرُ | borrows |
| مُقَابِلَ بَيْتِي | opposite my home |
| وَدَّعَ | said goodbye to |
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
- Salim compares his own village home and city routine, finding things he enjoys in each.
- Use أَهْدَأُ مِنْ to follow his comparison, then notice the people and activities that connect the two places.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Arabic Comparatives: Bigger Than and Better Than
أَهْدَأُ مِنْ غُرْفَتِي فِي الْمَدِينَةِ
Compare Salim’s two rooms using quieter than.
My Daily Routine in Arabic: 8 Simple Sentences
نَطْبُخُ أَحْيَانًا مَعًا فِي الْمَسَاءِ
Follow the ordinary activities Salim describes in his new home.
Arabic Prepositions: In, On, Under and Next To
خَلْفَ الْبَيْتِ
Locate the garden and the shop in Salim’s two homes.
