Nour looks back at three months of short study sessions, reading practice and a useful conversation in a shop. A familiar story shows her what has changed and what she wants to try next.
01Read the Arabic story
ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ مِنْ تَعَلُّمِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ
اِسْمِي نُورٌ، وَأَعْمَلُ فِي مَكْتَبٍ صَغِيرٍ. قَبْلَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَشْهُرٍ، كُنْتُ أَعْرِفُ بَعْضَ الْكَلِمَاتِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ، لَكِنَّنِي كُنْتُ أَقْرَأُ بِبُطْءٍ شَدِيدٍ. كُنْتُ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَفْهَمَ قِصَصًا قَصِيرَةً وَأَنْ أَتَحَدَّثَ عَنْ يَوْمِي. لِذَلِكَ، اِشْتَرَيْتُ دَفْتَرًا وَبَدَأْتُ بِدُرُوسٍ قَصِيرَةٍ بَعْدَ الْعَمَلِ.
فِي الْأَسَابِيعِ الْأُولَى، دَرَسْتُ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ دَقِيقَةً فِي الْمَسَاءِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَيَّامٍ فِي الْأُسْبُوعِ. بَعْدَ كُلِّ دَرْسٍ، كَتَبْتُ كَلِمَاتٍ جَدِيدَةً مَعَ جُمَلٍ بَسِيطَةٍ. عِنْدَمَا نَسِيتُ كَلِمَةً، عُدْتُ إِلَى جُمْلَتِهَا فِي الدَّفْتَرِ. كَانَ فَهْمُهَا أَسْهَلَ دَاخِلَ جُمْلَةٍ مِنْ حِفْظِهَا وَحْدَهَا.
كُنْتُ أَقْرَأُ مَعَ صَدِيقَتِي لَيْلَى مَرَّةً كُلَّ أُسْبُوعٍ. كَانَتْ تَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيَّ وَتُسَاعِدُنِي عِنْدَمَا أَتَوَقَّفُ. وَفِي أَحَدِ الْأَيَّامِ، سَأَلْتُ مُوَظَّفًا فِي مَتْجَرٍ: «أَيْنَ أَجِدُ الْحَلِيبَ؟» أَجَابَ: «بِجَانِبِ الْخُبْزِ». فَهِمْتُ الْإِجَابَةَ وَوَجَدْتُهُ. كَانَ الْحَدِيثُ قَصِيرًا، لَكِنَّنِي فَرِحْتُ لِأَنَّنِي اِسْتَخْدَمْتُ مَا تَعَلَّمْتُهُ.
الْيَوْمَ، بَعْدَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَشْهُرٍ، قَرَأْتُ قِصَّةً قَرَأْتُهَا فِي الْبِدَايَةِ. فَهِمْتُ أَحْدَاثَهَا دُونَ الْبَحْثِ عَنْ كُلِّ كَلِمَةٍ. مَا زِلْتُ أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْمُسَاعَدَةِ أَحْيَانًا، وَأُخْطِئُ عِنْدَمَا أَتَكَلَّمُ. هَدَفِي الْقَادِمُ أَنْ أَحْكِيَ قِصَّةً قَصِيرَةً لِلَيْلَى بِكَلِمَاتِي. أَغْلَقْتُ دَفْتَرِي وَأَنَا سَعِيدَةٌ، وَقُلْتُ: «سَأَقْرَأُ قِصَّةً جَدِيدَةً غَدًا».
Show English translationHide English translation
My name is Nour, and I work in a small office. Three months ago, I knew some Arabic words, but I read very slowly. I wanted to understand short stories and talk about my day. So I bought a notebook and began with short lessons after work.
In the first weeks, I studied for fifteen minutes in the evening, four days a week. After each lesson, I wrote new words with simple sentences. When I forgot a word, I went back to its sentence in the notebook. Understanding it in a sentence was easier than memorising it on its own.
I read with my friend Layla once every week. She listened to me and helped me when I stopped. One day, I asked an employee in a shop, “Where can I find the milk?” He answered, “Next to the bread.” I understood the answer and found it. The conversation was short, but I was pleased because I had used what I had learnt.
Today, after three months, I read a story that I had read at the beginning. I understood its events without looking up every word. I still need help sometimes, and I make mistakes when I speak. My next goal is to tell Layla a short story in my own words. I happily closed my notebook and said, “I will read a new story tomorrow.”
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| بِبُطْءٍ شَدِيدٍ | very slowly |
| جُمَلٍ بَسِيطَةٍ | simple sentences |
| نَسِيتُ | I forgot |
| حِفْظِهَا | memorising it |
| اِسْتَخْدَمْتُ | I used |
| أَحْدَاثَهَا | its events |
| أُخْطِئُ | I make mistakes |
| بِكَلِمَاتِي | in my own words |
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
- Distinguish Nour’s four weekly study sessions from her once-weekly reading with Layla, and connect the notebook examples to her later progress.
- Recognise both her achievement in understanding a familiar story and her continuing need for help as she works towards telling one herself.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
What I Did Yesterday in Arabic: 6 Simple Past-Tense Sentences
كَتَبْتُ كَلِمَاتٍ جَدِيدَةً
Recognise first-person past forms as Nour describes what she read and wrote.
Arabic Prepositions: In, On, Under and Next To
بِجَانِبِ الْخُبْزِ
Understand the location phrase that helps Nour find the milk.
Arabic Future Tense for Beginners: Talk About Tomorrow
سَأَقْرَأُ قِصَّةً جَدِيدَةً غَدًا
See the future prefix in the final sentence about tomorrow’s reading.
