Hassan is flying alone for the first time to visit his uncle. He checks in his suitcase, follows the signs and asks for help finding his gate.
01Read the Arabic story
مَرَّتِي الْأُولَى فِي الْمَطَارِ
كَانَتْ هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةَ الْأُولَى الَّتِي يُسَافِرُ فِيهَا حَسَنٌ بِالطَّائِرَةِ. أَرَادَ أَنْ يَزُورَ عَمَّهُ فِي بَلَدٍ آخَرَ. وَصَلَ إِلَى الْمَطَارِ قَبْلَ الرِّحْلَةِ بِسَاعَتَيْنِ، وَمَعَهُ حَقِيبَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ كَبِيرَةٌ وَحَقِيبَةُ يَدٍ صَغِيرَةٌ. أَوْصَلَتْهُ أُخْتُهُ إِلَى الْمَدْخَلِ، ثُمَّ وَدَّعَتْهُ وَعَادَتْ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ.
دَخَلَ حَسَنٌ وَبَحَثَ عَنْ شُبَّاكِ شَرِكَةِ الطَّيَرَانِ. أَعْطَى الْمُوَظَّفَةَ جَوَازَ سَفَرِهِ وَتَذْكِرَتَهُ، ثُمَّ وَضَعَ الْحَقِيبَةَ الْكَبِيرَةَ عَلَى الْمِيزَانِ. أَخَذَتِ الْمُوَظَّفَةُ الْحَقِيبَةَ وَأَعْطَتْهُ بِطَاقَةَ الصُّعُودِ. قَالَتْ: «بَوَّابَتُكَ رَقْمُهَا سِتَّةٌ». شَكَرَهَا حَسَنٌ وَوَضَعَ الْبِطَاقَةَ مَعَ جَوَازِهِ فِي حَقِيبَةِ الْيَدِ.
بَعْدَ الْفَحْصِ الْأَمْنِيِّ، تَبِعَ حَسَنٌ اللَّوْحَاتِ الَّتِي تُشِيرُ إِلَى الْبَوَّابَاتِ. وَلَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَرَ الْبَوَّابَةَ السَّادِسَةَ، فَسَأَلَ مُوَظَّفًا: «أَيْنَ الْبَوَّابَةُ رَقْمُ سِتَّةٍ، مِنْ فَضْلِكَ؟» قَالَ الْمُوَظَّفُ: «اِصْعَدْ إِلَى الطَّابِقِ الْأَوَّلِ، ثُمَّ انْعَطِفْ يَمِينًا. سَتَجِدُهَا أَمَامَ الْمَقْهَى». اِتَّبَعَ حَسَنٌ الْإِرْشَادَاتِ وَوَجَدَ الْبَوَّابَةَ.
جَلَسَ حَسَنٌ قُرْبَ الْبَوَّابَةِ وَرَاجَعَ رَقْمَ الرِّحْلَةِ عَلَى الشَّاشَةِ. وَجَدَ الرَّقْمَ نَفْسَهُ عَلَى بِطَاقَتِهِ، فَشَعَرَ بِالرَّاحَةِ. أَرْسَلَ رِسَالَةً إِلَى أُخْتِهِ: «وَصَلْتُ إِلَى الْبَوَّابَةِ. كُلُّ شَيْءٍ بِخَيْرٍ». عِنْدَمَا بَدَأَ الصُّعُودُ، أَظْهَرَ بِطَاقَتَهُ لِلْمُوَظَّفَةِ وَمَشَى نَحْوَ الطَّائِرَةِ وَهُوَ يَبْتَسِمُ.
Show English translationHide English translation
This was the first time Hassan was travelling by plane. He wanted to visit his uncle in another country. He arrived at the airport two hours before the flight, with a large black suitcase and a small hand luggage bag. His sister brought him to the entrance, then said goodbye and went home.
Hassan went inside and looked for the airline counter. He gave the employee his passport and ticket, then put the large suitcase on the scales. The employee took the suitcase and gave him his boarding pass. She said, “Your gate number is six.” Hassan thanked her and put the pass with his passport in his hand luggage.
After security screening, Hassan followed the signs pointing towards the gates. But he did not see gate six, so he asked an employee, “Where is gate number six, please?” The employee said, “Go up to the first floor, then turn right. You will find it opposite the café.” Hassan followed the directions and found the gate.
Hassan sat near the gate and checked the flight number on the screen. He found the same number on his boarding pass, so he felt relieved. He sent his sister a message: “I have reached the gate. Everything is fine.” When boarding began, he showed his pass to the employee and walked towards the plane, smiling.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| جَوَازَ سَفَرِهِ | his passport |
| الْمِيزَانِ | the scales |
| بِطَاقَةَ الصُّعُودِ | the boarding pass |
| حَقِيبَةِ الْيَدِ | the hand luggage bag |
| الْفَحْصِ الْأَمْنِيِّ | security screening |
| الطَّابِقِ الْأَوَّلِ | the first floor |
| يَمِينًا | right |
| الشَّاشَةِ | the screen |
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
- Hassan checks in his large suitcase, asks for directions and confirms the flight number when he reaches the gate.
- Follow the sequence markers and directions to separate the airline counter, security screening and the boarding gate.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Directions in Arabic: Left, Right and Straight Ahead
ثُمَّ انْعَطِفْ يَمِينًا
Read the short instruction that takes Hassan upstairs and to the right.
Transport in Arabic: 8 Words for Getting Around
يُسَافِرُ فِيهَا حَسَنٌ بِالطَّائِرَةِ
Connect the airport journey with words for travelling by plane.
Fa and Thumma: Two Ways to Say “Then” in Arabic
ثُمَّ وَضَعَ الْحَقِيبَةَ الْكَبِيرَةَ عَلَى الْمِيزَانِ
Follow one completed action and then the next step at the airport.
