Nadia must leave Salma’s home earlier than planned and offers practical changes that respect her host’s effort.
01Read the Arabic conversation
تَقْصِيرُ زِيَارَةٍ مَعَ تَقْدِيرِ جُهْدِ الْمُضِيفَةِ
نَادِيَةُ: يَا سَلْمَى، أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى تَغْيِيرِ مَوْعِدِ مُغَادَرَتِي. بَذَلْتِ جُهْدًا لِزِيَارَتِي مِنَ الْجُمُعَةِ إِلَى الْأَحَدِ.
سَلْمَى: هَلْ سَتُلْغِينَ الزِّيَارَةَ كُلَّهَا؟ اِشْتَرَيْتُ الْمُكَوِّنَاتِ وَرَتَّبْتُ غُرْفَةَ الضُّيُوفِ، وَانْتَظَرْتُ وَقْتَنَا مَعًا.
نَادِيَةُ: لَا، سَآتِي يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ كَمَا اتَّفَقْنَا، لَكِنَّنِي مُضْطَرَّةٌ إِلَى الْمُغَادَرَةِ السَّبْتَ عِنْدَ الرَّابِعَةِ. أُضِيفَ تَدْرِيبٌ لِلْعَمَلِ صَبَاحَ الْأَحَدِ.
سَلْمَى: أَتَفَهَّمُ الِالْتِزَامَ، لَكِنَّ الْخَبَرَ مُفَاجِئٌ. خَطَّطْتُ لِعَشَاءٍ خَاصٍّ مَسَاءَ السَّبْتِ، وَأَشْعُرُ أَنَّ التَّرْتِيبَاتِ لَمْ تَعُدْ مُهِمَّةً.
نَادِيَةُ: هِيَ مُهِمَّةٌ لِي، وَأَنَا آسِفَةٌ لِإِرْبَاكِ خُطَّتِكِ. وَصَلَنِي التَّأْكِيدُ الْيَوْمَ، وَأَخْبَرْتُكِ مُبَاشَرَةً لِكَيْ نُعَدِّلَ مَا يُمْكِنُ تَعْدِيلُهُ.
سَلْمَى: هَلْ يُمْكِنُ حُضُورُ التَّدْرِيبِ عَنْ بُعْدٍ؟ رُبَّمَا تَبْقَيْنَ هُنَا وَتَسْتَخْدِمِينَ الْغُرْفَةَ الْهَادِئَةَ صَبَاحَ الْأَحَدِ.
نَادِيَةُ: سَأَلْتُ، وَلَكِنَّ الْحُضُورَ فِي الْمَكْتَبِ مَطْلُوبٌ. وَالرُّجُوعُ لَيْلًا بَعْدَ الْعَشَاءِ سَيَتْرُكُنِي مُتْعَبَةً قَبْلَ التَّدْرِيبِ.
سَلْمَى: إِذَنْ لَا تُنَاسِبُكِ الْمُغَادَرَةُ الْمُتَأَخِّرَةُ. ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ الْمَوْعِدَ مَرِنٌ.
نَادِيَةُ: مَا رَأْيُكِ فِي الْإِبْقَاءِ عَلَى غَدَاءِ السَّبْتِ؟ نَقْضِي الصَّبَاحَ مَعًا، وَأُسَاعِدُكِ فِي التَّحْضِيرِ وَتَرْتِيبِ الْمَكَانِ بَعْدَ الْأَكْلِ.
سَلْمَى: هَذَا يُنَاسِبُنِي، لَكِنِّي لَا أُرِيدُ نَقْلَ الْعَشَاءِ الْكَبِيرِ كُلِّهِ إِلَى الظُّهْرِ. سَنَقْضِي الصَّبَاحَ فِي الْمَطْبَخِ.
نَادِيَةُ: مَعَكِ حَقٌّ. غَدَاءٌ بَسِيطٌ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ بَرْنَامَجٍ مُزْدَحِمٍ. الْمُهِمُّ عِنْدِي أَنْ نَتَحَدَّثَ، لَا أَنْ تُتْعِبِي نَفْسَكِ.
سَلْمَى: أُوَافِقُ. أَمَّا مُكَوِّنَاتُ الْعَشَاءِ فَيُمْكِنُنِي تَجْمِيدُ بَعْضِهَا وَاسْتِخْدَامُ الْبَاقِي خِلَالَ الْأُسْبُوعِ. لَمْ أَبْدَأِ الطَّهْيَ بَعْدُ.
نَادِيَةُ: إِذَا احْتَجْتِ إِلَى مُسَاعَدَةٍ فِي تَقْسِيمِهَا أُسَاعِدُكِ. وَأَرْجُو أَنْ تُخْبِرِينِي بِمَا يَجْعَلُ التَّغْيِيرَ أَسْهَلَ عَلَيْكِ.
سَلْمَى: شُكْرًا. أُفَضِّلُ أَنْ نُحَدِّدَ وَقْتَ الْغَدَاءِ مُبَكِّرًا، حَتَّى لَا نَشْعُرَ بِأَنَّنَا نُسَابِقُ السَّاعَةَ قَبْلَ مُغَادَرَتِكِ.
نَادِيَةُ: هَلِ الْوَاحِدَةُ مُنَاسِبَةٌ؟ يَبْقَى لَدَيْنَا وَقْتٌ لِلْجُلُوسِ بَعْدَهُ، وَأَضَعُ حَقِيبَتِي قُرْبَ الْبَابِ قَبْلَ الْغَدَاءِ.
سَلْمَى: نَعَمْ. وَأُقَدِّرُ أَنَّكِ لَمْ تَتْرُكِي الْخَبَرَ إِلَى وَقْتِ الْوُصُولِ. يَحْتَاجُ شُعُورِي بِخَيْبَةِ الْأَمَلِ إِلَى قَلِيلٍ مِنَ الْوَقْتِ.
نَادِيَةُ: أَفْهَمُ، وَلَا أَتَوَقَّعُ أَنْ تَزُولَ خَيْبَتُكِ فَوْرًا. يُمْكِنُنَا التَّفْكِيرُ فِي زِيَارَةٍ أُخْرَى عِنْدَمَا يَتَّضِحُ جَدْوَلُ الشَّهْرِ الْقَادِمِ.
سَلْمَى: أُفَضِّلُ ذَلِكَ عَلَى وَعْدٍ بِمَوْعِدٍ قَدْ يَتَغَيَّرُ. نَحْتَفِظُ بِفِكْرَةِ الْعَشَاءِ، وَلَا نَحْجِزُ يَوْمًا الْآنَ.
نَادِيَةُ: اِتَّفَقْنَا. سَأُرْسِلُ لَكِ مَوْعِدَ وَصُولِي يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَلَنْ أُضِيفَ أَيَّ خُطَطٍ أُخْرَى إِلَى الزِّيَارَةِ الْقَصِيرَةِ.
سَلْمَى: وَأَنَا سَأُبَسِّطُ التَّحْضِيرَ. نَقْضِي وَقْتًا هَادِئًا مَعًا بَدَلًا مِنْ تَنْفِيذِ الْخُطَّةِ الْقَدِيمَةِ.
نَادِيَةُ: شُكْرًا لِتَفَهُّمِكِ. تَقْصِيرُ الزِّيَارَةِ لَا يُقَلِّلُ مِنْ تَقْدِيرِي لِدَعْوَتِكِ، وَسَأَهْتَمُّ بِوَقْتِنَا مَعًا.
سَلْمَى: أَنْتِ مُرَحَّبٌ بِكِ. أَنَا مُحْبَطَةٌ مِنْ تَغْيِيرِ الْخُطَّةِ، لَكِنَّنِي مَا زِلْتُ أَتَطَلَّعُ إِلَى رُؤْيَتِكِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
Nadia: Salma, I need to change my departure. You worked hard for my Friday-to-Sunday visit.
Salma: Are you cancelling? I bought ingredients and prepared the guest room, looking forward to our time together.
Nadia: No, I will arrive Friday, but must leave Saturday at four. Work added training on Sunday morning.
Salma: I understand, but this is unexpected. I planned a special Saturday dinner and feel the preparations no longer matter.
Nadia: They matter. Sorry for disrupting your plan. Confirmation arrived today; I told you immediately so we could adjust.
Salma: Could you attend remotely? Perhaps stay here and use the quiet room on Sunday morning.
Nadia: I asked, but office attendance is required. Returning late after dinner would leave me tired before training.
Salma: Then a late departure does not suit you. I thought the timing was flexible.
Nadia: What about keeping Saturday lunch? We can spend the morning together, and I will help prepare and clear up.
Salma: That suits me, but I do not want to move the whole big dinner to lunchtime. We would spend the morning cooking.
Nadia: You are right. A simple lunch is better than a packed programme. I want us to talk, without exhausting you.
Salma: Agreed. I can freeze some dinner ingredients and use the rest during the week. I have not started cooking yet.
Nadia: If you need help portioning them, I will help. Please tell me what would make the change easier for you.
Salma: Thank you. I prefer an early lunch so we are not racing the clock before you leave.
Nadia: Would one o’clock work? That leaves time to sit afterwards. I will put my bag by the door before lunch.
Salma: Yes. I appreciate you not waiting until arrival to tell me. I need a little time with my disappointment.
Nadia: I understand and do not expect your disappointment to vanish immediately. We can consider another visit once next month’s schedule is clear.
Salma: I prefer that to a date that might change. Let us keep the dinner idea without choosing a day now.
Nadia: Agreed. I will send my Friday arrival time and avoid adding other plans to the short visit.
Salma: I will simplify preparations: quiet time together instead of fulfilling the old plan.
Nadia: Thank you for understanding. A shorter visit does not lessen my appreciation; I will value our time together.
Salma: You are welcome here. I am disappointed about the change, but still look forward to seeing you Friday.
02Useful words and expressions
| Arabic in the conversation | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| بَذَلْتِ جُهْدًا | you made an effort |
| الْمُكَوِّنَاتِ | ingredients |
| لِإِرْبَاكِ خُطَّتِكِ | for disrupting your plan |
| عَنْ بُعْدٍ | remotely |
| الْإِبْقَاءِ عَلَى | keeping |
| بَرْنَامَجٍ مُزْدَحِمٍ | a packed programme |
| تَجْمِيدُ | freezing |
| نُسَابِقُ السَّاعَةَ | we race the clock |
| خَيْبَةِ الْأَمَلِ | disappointment |
| أَتَطَلَّعُ إِلَى | I look forward to |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic conversation for evidence. Open the English question support or a hint when you need help.
What to remember
- Recognise a host’s effort and the effect of changing plans.
- Offer a practical alternative without promising an uncertain future date.
Explore the Arabic in this conversation
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this conversation.
Arabic Comparatives: Bigger Than and Better Than
غَدَاءٌ بَسِيطٌ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ بَرْنَامَجٍ مُزْدَحِمٍ
Compare a simple meal with a packed programme using afdal followed by min.
Amma and Fa in Arabic: As For This Topic
أَمَّا مُكَوِّنَاتُ الْعَشَاءِ فَيُمْكِنُنِي تَجْمِيدُ بَعْضِهَا
Introduce the remaining ingredients as a topic and link the practical response with fa.
Polite Requests in Arabic: How to Use Arju An
أَرْجُو أَنْ تُخْبِرِينِي بِمَا يَجْعَلُ التَّغْيِيرَ أَسْهَلَ عَلَيْكِ
Request the host’s input with arju an and a feminine verb without its indicative nun.
