Adil’s new kitchen has little free storage space. He and his housemates agree where their things belong, when they will cook and how they will clean up.
01Read the Arabic story
مَطْبَخٌ مُشْتَرَكٌ مَعَ زُمَلَاءَ جُدُدٍ
اِنْتَقَلَ عَادِلٌ إِلَى شَقَّةٍ يَسْكُنُ فِيهَا يَاسِرٌ وَسَعِيدٌ. فِي الْمَسَاءِ، دَخَلَ الْمَطْبَخَ وَمَعَهُ أَكْوَابٌ وَكِيسُ أَرُزٍّ وَعُلْبَةُ شَايٍ. كَانَتِ الْخِزَانَةُ مُزْدَحِمَةً، فَلَمْ يَجِدْ مَكَانًا لِأَشْيَائِهِ. وَضَعَهَا عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِزَمِيلَيْهِ: «هَلْ نُرَتِّبُ الْمَطْبَخَ مَعًا؟ نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى مَسَاحَةٍ لِلْجَمِيعِ».
فَتَحُوا الْخِزَانَةَ وَأَخْرَجُوا الْعُلَبَ مِنْهَا. كَانَتْ فِيهَا ثَلَاثَةُ رُفُوفٍ، فَخَصَّصُوا رَفًّا لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ. كَتَبَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ اِسْمَهُ عَلَى وَرَقَةٍ وَوَضَعَهَا عَلَى رَفِّهِ. أَمَّا الْأَطْبَاقُ وَالْقُدُورُ الْمُشْتَرَكَةُ، فَوَضَعُوهَا فِي خِزَانَةٍ أُخْرَى قُرْبَ الْمَوْقِدِ. أَصْبَحَ لِأَكْوَابِ عَادِلٍ مَكَانٌ وَاضِحٌ.
بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ، تَحَدَّثُوا عَنْ وَقْتِ الطَّبْخِ. قَالَ يَاسِرٌ: «عِنْدِي دَرْسٌ فِي السَّابِعَةِ، لِذَلِكَ أَطْبُخُ فِي السَّادِسَةِ». اِتَّفَقُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَطْبُخَ عَادِلٌ فِي السَّابِعَةِ وَسَعِيدٌ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ. سَأَلَ عَادِلٌ: «وَمَنْ يُنَظِّفُ الْمَطْبَخَ؟» قَالَ سَعِيدٌ: «يَغْسِلُ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ أَطْبَاقَهُ وَيَمْسَحُ الطَّاوِلَةَ بَعْدَ الِاسْتِخْدَامِ».
كَتَبُوا الْأَوْقَاتَ عَلَى وَرَقَةٍ وَعَلَّقُوهَا عَلَى الثَّلَّاجَةِ. فِي الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي، دَخَلَ عَادِلٌ الْمَطْبَخَ فِي مَوْعِدِهِ وَوَجَدَ الْمَوْقِدَ فَارِغًا. أَعَدَّ عَشَاءَهُ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ الْقِدْرَ وَطَبَقَهُ وَمَسَحَ الطَّاوِلَةَ. عِنْدَمَا وَصَلَ سَعِيدٌ، قَالَ: «شُكْرًا، أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَبْدَأَ الْآنَ». اِبْتَسَمَ عَادِلٌ وَحَمَلَ كُوبَ الشَّايِ إِلَى غُرْفَتِهِ.
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Adil moved into an apartment where Yaser and Said lived. In the evening, he entered the kitchen with cups, a bag of rice and a tin of tea. The cupboard was crowded, so he could not find room for his things. He put them on the table, then said to his two housemates, “Shall we organise the kitchen together? We need space for everyone.”
They opened the cupboard and took the containers out. There were three shelves inside, so they gave each person a shelf. Each person wrote his name on a piece of paper and put it on his shelf. They put the shared plates and cooking pots in another cupboard near the cooker. Adil’s cups now had a clear place.
After that, they talked about cooking times. Yaser said, “I have a class at seven, so I cook at six.” They agreed that Adil would cook at seven and Said at eight. Adil asked, “And who cleans the kitchen?” Said replied, “Each person washes his dishes and wipes the table after using it.”
They wrote the times on a piece of paper and hung it on the fridge. The next day, Adil entered the kitchen at his agreed time and found the cooker free. He prepared his dinner, then washed the pot and his plate and wiped the table. When Said arrived, he said, “Thank you, I can start now.” Adil smiled and carried his cup of tea to his room.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| شَقَّةٍ | an apartment |
| الْخِزَانَةُ | the cupboard |
| مَسَاحَةٍ لِلْجَمِيعِ | space for everyone |
| ثَلَاثَةُ رُفُوفٍ | three shelves |
| الْقُدُورُ الْمُشْتَرَكَةُ | the shared cooking pots |
| الْمَوْقِدِ | the cooker; the stove |
| الثَّلَّاجَةِ | the fridge |
| وَمَسَحَ الطَّاوِلَةَ | and he wiped the table |
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
- The housemates make room for everyone by giving each person a labelled shelf and storing shared cookware separately.
- They agree on cooking times and clean after using the kitchen, so the next person can begin.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Kitchen Items in Arabic: 10 Words for Everyday Objects
ثُمَّ غَسَلَ الْقِدْرَ وَطَبَقَهُ
Name the kitchen objects as the housemates organise storage and clean after dinner.
Telling the Time in Arabic: Hours, Half Past and Quarter Past
عِنْدِي دَرْسٌ فِي السَّابِعَةِ
Follow the three agreed cooking times and Yaser’s class time.
Arabic Prepositions: In, On, Under and Next To
عَلَى الثَّلَّاجَةِ
See how place expressions identify the shared cupboard and the visible schedule.
