Omar’s phone screen cracks, and he compares a repair quote with a new phone’s price. He considers his study needs and the money he wants to keep for books.
01Read the Arabic story
إِصْلَاحُ هَاتِفِي أَمْ شِرَاءُ هَاتِفٍ جَدِيدٍ؟
اِسْمِي عُمَرُ، وَأَسْتَخْدِمُ هَاتِفِي لِلْمُكَالَمَاتِ وَدُرُوسِ اللُّغَةِ. فِي صَبَاحِ الْخَمِيسِ، سَقَطَ هَاتِفِي عَلَى الْأَرْضِ وَتَشَقَّقَتْ شَاشَتُهُ. كَانَ لَا يَزَالُ يَعْمَلُ، لَكِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ الْكَلِمَاتِ أَصْبَحَتْ صَعْبَةً. كَانَ مَعِي مِئَةٌ وَخَمْسُونَ رِيَالًا، فَفَكَّرْتُ: «هَلْ أُصْلِحُهُ أَمْ أَشْتَرِي هَاتِفًا جَدِيدًا؟» وَشَعَرْتُ بِالْحَيْرَةِ قَلِيلًا.
ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى مَحَلٍّ وَسَأَلْتُ عَنْ ثَمَنِ الْإِصْلَاحِ. فَحَصَ الْمُوَظَّفُ الْهَاتِفَ وَقَالَ: «تَغْيِيرُ الشَّاشَةِ يُكَلِّفُ خَمْسِينَ رِيَالًا، وَسَيَكُونُ الْهَاتِفُ جَاهِزًا غَدًا». ثُمَّ أَرَانِي هَاتِفًا جَدِيدًا بِمِئَةٍ وَخَمْسِينَ رِيَالًا. أَعْجَبَنِي لَوْنُهُ الْأَزْرَقُ، لَكِنَّ ثَمَنَهُ يُسَاوِي كُلَّ الْمَالِ الَّذِي مَعِي.
خَرَجْتُ مِنَ الْمَحَلِّ قَلِيلًا لِأُفَكِّرَ، وَكَتَبْتُ السِّعْرَيْنِ فِي دَفْتَرِي. قُلْتُ لِنَفْسِي: «هَاتِفِي الْقَدِيمُ مُنَاسِبٌ لِمُكَالَمَاتِي وَدُرُوسِي. الْإِصْلَاحُ أَرْخَصُ مِنَ الْهَاتِفِ الْجَدِيدِ، وَسَيَبْقَى مَعِي مِئَةُ رِيَالٍ». كُنْتُ أُرِيدُ شِرَاءَ كُتُبٍ لِدِرَاسَتِي، وَلَمْ أُرِدْ أَنْ أُنْفِقَ كُلَّ الْمَبْلَغِ عَلَى هَاتِفٍ.
عُدْتُ إِلَى الْمُوَظَّفِ وَطَلَبْتُ تَغْيِيرَ الشَّاشَةِ. أَعْطَانِي إِيصَالًا، فَوَضَعْتُهُ فِي حَقِيبَتِي. فِي الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي، عُدْتُ إِلَى الْمَحَلِّ وَجَرَّبْتُ الْهَاتِفَ. فَتَحْتُ دَرْسًا وَقَرَأْتُ الْكَلِمَاتِ بِوُضُوحٍ، ثُمَّ أَجْرَيْتُ مُكَالَمَةً قَصِيرَةً. دَفَعْتُ خَمْسِينَ رِيَالًا وَشَكَرْتُ الْمُوَظَّفَ. اِحْتَفَظْتُ بِالْمَالِ الْبَاقِي لِشِرَاءِ الْكُتُبِ فِي نِهَايَةِ الْأُسْبُوعِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
My name is Omar, and I use my phone for calls and language lessons. On Thursday morning, my phone fell on the floor and its screen cracked. It still worked, but reading words had become difficult. I had one hundred and fifty riyals, so I wondered, “Should I repair it or buy a new phone?” I felt a little unsure.
I went to a shop and asked about the repair price. The employee examined the phone and said, “Replacing the screen costs fifty riyals, and the phone will be ready tomorrow.” Then he showed me a new phone for one hundred and fifty riyals. I liked its blue colour, but its price was equal to all the money I had.
I stepped outside the shop for a little while to think and wrote the two prices in my notebook. I said to myself, “My old phone suits my calls and lessons. The repair is cheaper than the new phone, and I will have one hundred riyals left.” I wanted to buy books for my studies, and I did not want to spend the whole amount on a phone.
I returned to the employee and asked him to replace the screen. He gave me a receipt, which I put in my bag. The next day, I returned to the shop and tried the phone. I opened a lesson and read the words clearly, then made a short call. I paid fifty riyals and thanked the employee. I kept the remaining money to buy books at the weekend.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| تَشَقَّقَتْ شَاشَتُهُ | its screen cracked |
| ثَمَنِ الْإِصْلَاحِ | the repair price |
| تَغْيِيرُ الشَّاشَةِ | replacing the screen |
| جَاهِزًا | ready |
| السِّعْرَيْنِ | the two prices |
| أَرْخَصُ | cheaper |
| الْمَبْلَغِ | the amount of money |
| إِيصَالًا | a receipt |
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
- Omar compares the shop’s fifty-riyal repair quote with a new phone costing one hundred and fifty riyals.
- He chooses the repair because his old phone suits his needs, leaving one hundred riyals for books.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Arabic Comparatives: Bigger Than and Better Than
الْإِصْلَاحُ أَرْخَصُ مِنَ الْهَاتِفِ الْجَدِيدِ
Follow Omar’s direct comparison between the repair and a new phone.
Shopping in Arabic: Ask Prices and Choose What You Need
وَسَأَلْتُ عَنْ ثَمَنِ الْإِصْلَاحِ
Read the price question, the quoted cost and the payment in the shop.
Phone Arabic: 6 Simple Phrases for Calls and Messages
ثُمَّ أَجْرَيْتُ مُكَالَمَةً قَصِيرَةً
Connect the phone vocabulary with Omar’s calls and his final check.
