Mahir and his neighbour Salma organise a book swap. A visitor’s comment helps them improve the display, and a gardening book soon finds a new reader.
01Read the Arabic story
تَنْظِيمُ لِقَاءٍ لِتَبَادُلِ الْكُتُبِ
اِسْمِي مَاهِرٌ. كَانَتْ عَلَى رَفِّي كُتُبٌ قَرَأْتُهَا وَلَمْ أَعُدْ أَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهَا. سَأَلْتُ جَارَتِي سَلْمَى: «هَلْ نُنَظِّمُ لِقَاءً لِتَبَادُلِ الْكُتُبِ فِي الْحَيِّ؟» أَعْجَبَتْهَا الْفِكْرَةُ، فَاخْتَرْنَا صَبَاحَ السَّبْتِ فِي سَاحَةِ الْمَبْنَى. كَتَبْنَا إِعْلَانًا: «أَحْضِرْ كِتَابًا وَاخْتَرْ كِتَابًا آخَرَ، بِدُونِ دَفْعِ مَالٍ».
جَمَعْنَا بَعْضَ الْكُتُبِ مِنَ الْجِيرَانِ قَبْلَ الْمَوْعِدِ بِيَوْمٍ. رَتَّبْنَا طَاوِلَتَيْنِ: وَاحِدَةً لِلْقِصَصِ، وَأُخْرَى لِكُتُبِ الطَّبْخِ وَالْحَدَائِقِ. وَضَعَتْ سَلْمَى بِطَاقَةً كَبِيرَةً عَلَى كُلِّ طَاوِلَةٍ. فِي الْبِدَايَةِ وَضَعْنَا الْكُتُبَ بَعْضَهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ، لَكِنَّ عَنَاوِينَ كَثِيرَةً لَمْ تَكُنْ وَاضِحَةً.
قَالَ أَوَّلُ زَائِرٍ: «لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ قِرَاءَةَ الْعَنَاوِينِ هَكَذَا». فَوَزَّعْنَا الْكُتُبَ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَتَيْنِ حَتَّى يَرَى الْجَمِيعُ أَغْلِفَتَهَا. بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ سَأَلَنِي جَارٌ عَنْ كِتَابٍ لِلْحَدِيقَةِ. أَرَيْتُهُ كِتَابًا عَنْ زِرَاعَةِ الْأَزْهَارِ، فَابْتَسَمَ وَقَالَ: «هَذَا مَا أَبْحَثُ عَنْهُ».
تَرَكَ الْجَارُ كِتَابَ طَبْخٍ وَأَخَذَ كِتَابَ الْأَزْهَارِ. وَاخْتَرْتُ أَنَا قِصَّةً لَمْ أَقْرَأْهَا مِنْ قَبْلُ. عِنْدَ الظُّهْرِ، جَمَعْنَا الْكُتُبَ الْبَاقِيَةَ فِي صُنْدُوقٍ لِلِّقَاءِ الْقَادِمِ. قَالَتْ سَلْمَى: «لَدَيْنَا كُتُبٌ جَدِيدَةٌ لِنَقْرَأَهَا، وَتَعَرَّفْنَا إِلَى جِيرَانٍ آخَرِينَ أَيْضًا». اِتَّفَقْنَا عَلَى تَكْرَارِ اللِّقَاءِ فِي الشَّهْرِ الْقَادِمِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
My name is Mahir. On my shelf were books that I had read and no longer needed. I asked my neighbour Salma, “Shall we organise a book swap in the neighbourhood?” She liked the idea, so we chose Saturday morning in the building’s courtyard. We wrote a notice: “Bring a book and choose another one, without paying any money.”
We collected some books from the neighbours a day before the event. We set up two tables: one for stories, and another for books about cooking and gardens. Salma placed a large label on each table. At first, we stacked the books on top of one another, but many titles were not visible.
The first visitor said, “I cannot read the titles like this.” So we spread the books across the two tables so that everyone could see their covers. A little later, a neighbour asked me about a book for the garden. I showed him a book about growing flowers, and he smiled and said, “This is what I am looking for.”
The neighbour left a cookbook and took the flower book. I chose a story I had not read before. At midday, we collected the remaining books in a box for the next event. Salma said, “We have new books to read, and we have met other neighbours too.” We agreed to hold the event again the following month.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| رَفِّي | my shelf |
| لِتَبَادُلِ | for exchanging |
| الْجِيرَانِ | the neighbours |
| عَنَاوِينَ | titles |
| أَغْلِفَتَهَا | their covers |
| زِرَاعَةِ | growing; cultivation |
| الْبَاقِيَةَ | remaining |
| تَكْرَارِ | repeating |
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
- Follow the preparations, the change to the display and the exchange of books.
- Distinguish bringing a book to exchange from buying one: the notice says no money is needed.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Yes or No Questions in Arabic: Ask and Answer with Hal
هَلْ نُنَظِّمُ لِقَاءً لِتَبَادُلِ الْكُتُبِ فِي الْحَيِّ؟
Notice how a question with hal invites a neighbour to join an idea.
Arabic Time and Place Adverbs: Before, After, In Front and Behind
قَبْلَ الْمَوْعِدِ بِيَوْمٍ
Use before and above to understand the preparations and the first display.
Hobbies in Arabic: 8 Ways to Talk About Your Free Time
قِصَّةً لَمْ أَقْرَأْهَا مِنْ قَبْلُ
Connect the hobby of reading with choosing a new story to enjoy.
