Maryam and her son negotiate fair screen rules.
01Read the Arabic conversation
قَوَاعِدُ الشَّاشَاتِ فِي الْأُسْرَةِ
مَرْيَمُ: أُرِيدُ أَنْ نَضَعَ قَاعِدَةً لِلشَّاشَاتِ فِي الْبَيْتِ؛ فَقَدْ صَارَ الْحَدِيثُ بَيْنَنَا يَنْقَطِعُ بِاسْتِمْرَارٍ.
أَمِيرٌ: أَفْهَمُ ذَلِكَ، وَلَكِنَّ دَرْسِي الْمَسَائِيَّ عَبْرَ الْحَاسُوبِ. عَدُّ كُلِّ دَقِيقَةٍ أَمَامَ الشَّاشَةِ تَسْلِيَةً لَيْسَ مُنْصِفًا.
مَرْيَمُ: صَحِيحٌ، وَأَنَا أُجِيبُ عَنْ رَسَائِلِ الْعَمَلِ أَحْيَانًا. لِنُمَيِّزْ بَيْنَ الدِّرَاسَةِ وَالْعَمَلِ وَالتَّرْفِيهِ قَبْلَ تَحْدِيدِ الْوَقْتِ.
أَمِيرٌ: لَكِنْ يَسْهُلُ عَلَيَّ أَنْ أَبْدَأَ بِوَاجِبٍ وَأَنْتَهِيَ بِمَقَاطِعَ قَصِيرَةٍ. لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ وَصْفَ الْوَقْتِ كُلِّهِ بِالدِّرَاسَةِ.
مَرْيَمُ: وَأَنَا قَدْ أُطِيلُ تَصَفُّحَ الْأَخْبَارِ بَعْدَ رِسَالَةِ عَمَلٍ. إِنَّ الْقَاعِدَةَ مُشْتَرَكَةٌ، وَلَيْسَتْ مُوَجَّهَةً إِلَيْكَ وَحْدَكَ.
أَمِيرٌ: هَذَا أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْإِنْصَافِ. مَا رَأْيُكِ أَنْ نَبْدَأَ بِالْعَشَاءِ، فَنَضَعَ الْهَوَاتِفَ فِي السَّلَّةِ نِصْفَ سَاعَةٍ؟
مَرْيَمُ: أُوَافِقُ، بِشَرْطِ أَنْ نَتَّفِقَ عَلَى مَعْنَى الِاسْتِثْنَاءِ. إِذَا انْتَظَرَ أَحَدُنَا مُكَالَمَةً ضَرُورِيَّةً، يُخْبِرُ الْآخَرَ مُسْبَقًا.
أَمِيرٌ: وَيَرُدُّ بِاخْتِصَارٍ خَارِجَ مَكَانِ الطَّعَامِ، ثُمَّ يَعُودُ. أَمَّا التَّنْبِيهُ الْعَادِيُّ فَيُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَنْتَظِرَ إِلَى بَعْدِ الْعَشَاءِ.
مَرْيَمُ: جَيِّدٌ. لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ تُصْبِحَ كُلُّ رِسَالَةٍ ضَرُورِيَّةً لِمُجَرَّدِ أَنَّهَا وَصَلَتْ مِنْ زَمِيلٍ فِي الْعَمَلِ.
أَمِيرٌ: وَلَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَجْعَلَ وَاجِبِي عُذْرًا لِفَتْحِ الْهَاتِفِ طَوَالَ الْمَسَاءِ. سَأَكْتُبُ مَا أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى إِنْجَازِهِ.
مَرْيَمُ: مَتَى يَنْتَهِي دَرْسُكَ؟ يُمْكِنُنَا تَخْصِيصُ وَقْتٍ لِلْحَدِيثِ بَعْدَهُ، بَدَلًا مِنْ مَنْعِ الْأَجْهِزَةِ فِي مَوْعِدٍ يُعَطِّلُهُ.
أَمِيرٌ: يَنْتَهِي فِي الثَّامِنَةِ، وَأَحْتَاجُ نِصْفَ سَاعَةٍ لِتَرْتِيبِ مُلَاحَظَاتِي. هَلْ تُنَاسِبُكِ الثَّامِنَةُ وَالنِّصْفُ لِلْجُلُوسِ مَعًا؟
مَرْيَمُ: نَعَمْ، سَأُحَاوِلُ إِنْهَاءَ رَسَائِلِ الْعَمَلِ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ. وَإِنْ ظَهَرَ تَكْلِيفٌ عَاجِلٌ، نَتَّفِقُ عَلَى مَوْعِدٍ بَدِيلٍ.
أَمِيرٌ: هَلْ يَعْنِي هَذَا أَنَّ الْأَلْعَابَ مَمْنُوعَةٌ؟ فَأَنَا أَسْتَرِيحُ أَحْيَانًا بِاللَّعِبِ مَعَ أَصْدِقَائِي بَعْدَ إِنْجَازِ وَاجِبِي.
مَرْيَمُ: لَا، لِأَنَّ الرَّاحَةَ مُهِمَّةٌ أَيْضًا. لَكِنَّ الْجَلْسَةَ تَحْتَاجُ إِلَى نِهَايَةٍ مُتَّفَقٍ عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى لَا تَمْتَدَّ بِلَا حُدُودٍ.
أَمِيرٌ: سَأَتَّفِقُ مَعَ أَصْدِقَائِي عَلَى الْمَوْعِدِ قَبْلَ الْبَدْءِ. هَكَذَا لَا أَفَاجِئُهُمْ بِالْمُغَادَرَةِ فِي مُنْتَصَفِ اللُّعْبَةِ.
مَرْيَمُ: وَسَأَتْرُكُ هَاتِفِي أَنَا أَيْضًا خِلَالَ وَقْتِنَا الْمُشْتَرَكِ. لَا يَصِحُّ أَنْ أُلْزِمَكَ بِقَاعِدَةٍ أَتَجَاهَلُهَا.
أَمِيرٌ: وَلْنُرَاجِعِ الْخُطَّةَ بَعْدَ أُسْبُوعٍ. قَدْ يَزِيدُ وَقْتُ دِرَاسَتِي قَبْلَ الِامْتِحَانِ، دُونَ أَنْ يَكُونَ ذَلِكَ تَهَرُّبًا.
مَرْيَمُ: مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ. نَسْأَلُ: هَلْ قَلَّتِ الْمُقَاطَعَاتُ، وَهَلْ أَنْجَزْنَا مَهَامَّنَا؟ لَا نَكْتَفِي بِجَمْعِ دَقَائِقِ الشَّاشَةِ.
أَمِيرٌ: وَإِذَا لَمْ تَنْجَحِ الْخُطَّةُ، نُعَدِّلُ الْجُزْءَ الصَّعْبَ بَدَلًا مِنْ إِلْغَائِهَا كُلِّهَا أَوْ تَبَادُلِ الِاتِّهَامَاتِ.
مَرْيَمُ: إِذَنْ نَبْدَأُ بِعَشَاءٍ دُونَ هَوَاتِفَ، وَوَقْتٍ مُشْتَرَكٍ مُنَاسِبٍ، وَاسْتِثْنَاءَاتٍ وَاضِحَةٍ نَشْرَحُهَا لِبَعْضِنَا.
أَمِيرٌ: أُوَافِقُ؛ فَالْهَدَفُ أَنْ نَكُونَ حَاضِرَيْنِ مَعًا، مَعَ احْتِرَامِ الدِّرَاسَةِ وَالْعَمَلِ وَالرَّاحَةِ، لَا أَنْ نُرَاقِبَ كُلَّ دَقِيقَةٍ.
Show English translationHide English translation
Maryam: I want a screen rule at home: our conversations keep being interrupted.
Amir: I understand, but my evening class is online. Counting every screen minute as entertainment is unfair.
Maryam: True, I sometimes answer work messages. Let us distinguish study, work, and recreation before setting times.
Amir: But I easily start with homework and end up watching short videos. That is not all studying.
Maryam: I may also keep browsing news after a work message. The rule is shared, not directed only at you.
Amir: That is fairer. How about putting our phones in the basket for half an hour at dinner?
Maryam: I agree, provided we agree on exceptions. If one of us expects an essential call, they tell the other beforehand.
Amir: They answer briefly away from the dining area, then return. An ordinary notification can wait until after dinner.
Maryam: Good. I do not want every message to become essential merely because it came from a colleague.
Amir: And I do not want homework to excuse using my phone all evening. I will write down what I need to complete.
Maryam: When does your class finish? We can talk afterward instead of banning devices during it.
Amir: It finishes at eight, and I need half an hour to organise my notes. Does eight thirty suit you for sitting together?
Maryam: Yes, I will try to finish my work messages before then. If an urgent assignment arises, we agree on another time.
Amir: Does this mean games are banned? I sometimes relax by playing with friends after finishing my homework.
Maryam: No, because relaxation matters too. But a session needs an agreed ending so that it does not continue indefinitely.
Amir: I will agree on the time with my friends before starting. That way, leaving mid-game will not surprise them.
Maryam: I will put my phone aside during our time together too. It is not right to make you follow a rule that I ignore.
Amir: Let us review the plan after a week. My study time may increase before an exam without that being avoidance.
Maryam: Agreed. We ask whether interruptions decreased and whether we completed our tasks, rather than only adding up screen minutes.
Amir: If the plan does not work, we adjust the difficult part rather than abandon it all or exchange accusations.
Maryam: Then we start with phone-free dinner, a suitable shared time, and clear exceptions that we explain to each other.
Amir: I agree: the aim is being present together while respecting study, work, and relaxation, not monitoring every minute.
02Useful words and expressions
| Arabic in the conversation | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| الْإِنْصَافِ | fairness |
| نِصْفَ سَاعَةٍ | half an hour |
| مُكَالَمَةً ضَرُورِيَّةً | an essential call |
| يُخْبِرُ الْآخَرَ مُسْبَقًا | tells the other beforehand |
| عُذْرًا | an excuse |
| مَوْعِدٍ بَدِيلٍ | an alternative time |
| نِهَايَةٍ مُتَّفَقٍ عَلَيْهَا | an agreed ending |
| تَهَرُّبًا | avoidance |
| قَلَّتِ الْمُقَاطَعَاتُ | interruptions decreased |
| تَبَادُلِ الِاتِّهَامَاتِ | exchanging accusations |
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
- Distinguish the purpose of device use before negotiating limits.
- Make exceptions clear, apply shared rules fairly, and review practical outcomes.
Explore the Arabic in this conversation
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this conversation.
Inna in Arabic: Emphasis and Noun Endings
إِنَّ الْقَاعِدَةَ مُشْتَرَكَةٌ
Observe how inna gives its noun an accusative ending while the simple predicate stays nominative.
Because in Arabic: Give a Reason with Lianna
لِأَنَّ الرَّاحَةَ مُهِمَّةٌ
Connect a position with its reason using lianna and a complete clause.
Lakinna and Lakin in Arabic: Two Patterns for But
لَكِنَّ الْجَلْسَةَ تَحْتَاجُ إِلَى نِهَايَةٍ مُتَّفَقٍ عَلَيْهَا
Use lakinna to qualify a proposal with a practical need.
