Lina and Samir need the same quiet office. They negotiate a handover and a backup room to protect both teams’ work.
01Read the Arabic conversation
التَّفَاوُضُ عَلَى اسْتِخْدَامِ مَكْتَبٍ مُشْتَرَكٍ
لِينَا: نُسَلِّمُ التَّقْرِيرَ غَدًا قَبْلَ الْوَاحِدَةِ. أُفَضِّلُ أَنْ نَسْتَخْدِمَ الْمَكْتَبَ الْهَادِئَ مِنَ الْعَاشِرَةِ إِلَى الثَّانِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ.
سَمِيرٌ: أَتَفَهَّمُ حَاجَتَكُمْ، لَكِنَّ فَرِيقَنَا يَسْجِّلُ مُقَابَلَاتٍ مِنَ الْعَاشِرَةِ إِلَى الْحَادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ، وَالضَّجِيجُ يُؤَثِّرُ فِي الصَّوْتِ.
لِينَا: لَا أَطْلُبُ إِلْغَاءَ مُقَابَلَاتِكُمْ. إِنَّمَا أَخْشَى أَنْ تَفُوتَنَا أَخْطَاءٌ فِي الْأَرْقَامِ وَسْطَ الضَّجِيجِ.
سَمِيرٌ: هَلْ تَتَطَلَّبُ الْمُرَاجَعَةُ كُلُّهَا هَذَا الْهُدُوءَ، أَمْ يُمْكِنُ إِنْجَازُ بَعْضِهَا فِي الْمَسَاحَةِ الْمَفْتُوحَةِ؟
لِينَا: يُمْكِنُنَا فَحْصُ التَّنْسِيقِ هُنَاكَ، أَمَّا مُقَارَنَةُ الْأَرْقَامِ بِالْمَصَادِرِ فَتَحْتَاجُ إِلَى سَاعَةٍ مُتَّصِلَةٍ بِلَا مُقَاطَعَةٍ.
سَمِيرٌ: إِذَنْ، نَتْرُكُ لَكُمُ الْمَكْتَبَ عِنْدَ الْحَادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ. هَلْ تَكْفِيكُمْ سَاعَةٌ قَبْلَ تَجْهِيزِ النُّسْخَةِ النِّهَائِيَّةِ؟
لِينَا: نَعَمْ، بِشَرْطِ أَنْ نَبْدَأَ فِي الْوَقْتِ الْمُتَّفَقِ عَلَيْهِ. فِي الْمَرَّةِ السَّابِقَةِ اِمْتَدَّ التَّسْجِيلُ بَعْدَ مَوْعِدِهِ.
سَمِيرٌ: لَدَيْنَا ثَلَاثُ مُقَابَلَاتٍ، عِشْرُونَ دَقِيقَةً لِكُلِّ مُقَابَلَةٍ. وَسَنُجَهِّزُ الْمُعَدَّاتِ مُسْبَقًا خَارِجَ الْمَكْتَبِ.
لِينَا: وَمَاذَا لَوْ طَالَتْ إِجَابَاتُ أَحَدِ الضُّيُوفِ؟ تَحْدِيدُ الْمُدَّةِ وَحْدَهُ لَا يَضْمَنُ انْتِهَاءَ الْمُقَابَلَةِ.
سَمِيرٌ: سَأُوَضِّحُ الْحَدَّ الزَّمَنِيَّ لِلضُّيُوفِ، لَكِنَّنِي لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَسْتَبْعِدَ تَأْخِيرًا قَصِيرًا بِسَبَبِ سُؤَالٍ ضَرُورِيٍّ.
لِينَا: أُقَدِّرُ صَرَاحَتَكَ. لِذَلِكَ نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى بَدِيلٍ يَحْمِي مَوْعِدَنَا، لَا إِلَى وَعْدٍ قَدْ يَصْعُبُ تَنْفِيذُهُ.
سَمِيرٌ: بِحَسَبِ الْجَدْوَلِ، قَاعَةُ الِاجْتِمَاعِ الصَّغِيرَةُ مُتَاحَةٌ بَعْدَ الْحَادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ. يُمْكِنُنَا حَجْزُهَا سَاعَةً لِلِاحْتِيَاطِ.
لِينَا: هِيَ أَهْدَأُ مِنَ الْمَسَاحَةِ الْمَفْتُوحَةِ، وَتَكْفِي فَرِيقَنَا. أَقْبَلُ اسْتِخْدَامَهَا إِذَا تَأَخَّرْتُمْ فِعْلًا.
سَمِيرٌ: جَيِّدٌ. سَأَحْجِزُهَا الْآنَ لِنَضْمَنَ تَوَفُّرَهَا، وَسَأُخْبِرُكِ قَبْلَ الْحَادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ إِنْ كُنَّا سَنَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهَا.
لِينَا: وَلَكِنْ، إِذَا انْتَهَى التَّسْجِيلُ فِي وَقْتِهِ، فَلْنُلْغِ حَجْزَ الْقَاعَةِ لِيَسْتَخْدِمَهَا غَيْرُنَا.
سَمِيرٌ: مُتَّفِقُونَ. وَهَلْ يُمْكِنُكُمْ إِبْقَاءُ الْمُعَدَّاتِ فِي زَاوِيَةِ الْمَكْتَبِ حَتَّى لَا نُضَيِّعَ وَقْتًا فِي نَقْلِهَا؟
لِينَا: لَا مَانِعَ، مَا دَامَتْ مَسَاحَةُ الْعَمَلِ خَالِيَةً. لَكِنْ أَرْجُو أَلَّا تَدْخُلُوا لِجَمْعِهَا أَثْنَاءَ الْمُرَاجَعَةِ.
سَمِيرٌ: سَنَجْمَعُهَا بَعْدَ الثَّانِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ. وَأُرْسِلُ لَكِ تَأْكِيدَ الْحَجْزَيْنِ لِتَتَّضِحَ التَّرْتِيبَاتُ لِلْفَرِيقَيْنِ.
لِينَا: وَأَنَا سَأُعِدُّ مَلَفَّاتِ الْمُرَاجَعَةِ مُسْبَقًا. بِهَذَا نَسْتَفِيدُ مِنَ السَّاعَةِ كُلِّهَا، وَلَوْ عَمِلْنَا فِي الْقَاعَةِ الْبَدِيلَةِ.
سَمِيرٌ: إِذَنْ، لَنَا الْمَكْتَبُ أَوَّلًا، وَلَكُمْ بَعْدَ الْحَادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ، مَعَ بَدِيلٍ مَحْجُوزٍ إِذَا حَدَثَ تَأْخِيرٌ.
لِينَا: هَذَا حَلٌّ مَقْبُولٌ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ خِيَارِي الْأَوَّلَ. لِنُرَاجِعْ نَتِيجَتَهُ بَعْدَ تَسْلِيمِ التَّقْرِيرِ غَدًا.
سَمِيرٌ: بِالتَّأْكِيدِ. نُقَيِّمُ نَجَاحَهُ بِإِنْجَازِ الْمُهِمَّتَيْنِ دُونَ مُقَاطَعَةٍ، لَا بِحُصُولِ فَرِيقٍ وَاحِدٍ عَلَى كُلِّ مَا يُرِيدُ.
Show English translationHide English translation
Lina: Our report is due tomorrow before one. I would prefer the quiet office from ten until twelve.
Samir: I understand, but our team records interviews from ten until eleven. Noise affects the sound.
Lina: I am not requesting cancellations. I am concerned we might miss numerical errors amid the noise.
Samir: Does the whole review need quiet, or could you do some in the open area?
Lina: We can check formatting there, but comparing figures with sources requires one uninterrupted hour.
Samir: Then we can leave at eleven. Is one hour enough before preparing the final version?
Lina: Yes, provided we start at the agreed time. Last time the recording ran beyond its scheduled slot.
Samir: We have three interviews, twenty minutes each. We will prepare the equipment in advance outside the office.
Lina: What if a guest gives lengthy answers? A time limit alone does not guarantee finishing.
Samir: I will explain the time limit to the guests, but I cannot rule out a short delay because of an essential question.
Lina: I appreciate your honesty. We need a backup to protect our slot, rather than a difficult promise.
Samir: The schedule shows the small meeting room is free after eleven. We could reserve an hour as backup.
Lina: It is quieter than the open area and has enough space for our team. I would accept using it if you actually run late.
Samir: Good. I will reserve it now to ensure it is available, and let you know before eleven if we will need it.
Lina: But if the recording finishes on time, let us cancel the meeting-room reservation so others can use it.
Samir: Agreed. Could you leave the equipment in a corner of the office so we do not lose time moving it?
Lina: That is fine, as long as the work area is clear. But please do not come in to collect it during the review.
Samir: We will collect it after twelve. I will confirm both reservations so both teams understand the arrangements.
Lina: And I will prepare the review files in advance. That way we can use the full hour, even if we work in the backup room.
Samir: So we have the office first, and you have it after eleven, with a reserved backup if there is a delay.
Lina: That is an acceptable solution, even though it was not my first choice. Let us review how it worked after submitting the report tomorrow.
Samir: Certainly. We will judge its success by completing both tasks without interruption, rather than one team getting everything it wants.
02Useful words and expressions
| Arabic in the conversation | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| فَحْصُ التَّنْسِيقِ | checking the formatting |
| سَاعَةٍ مُتَّصِلَةٍ | one continuous hour |
| بِشَرْطِ أَنْ | provided that |
| الْحَدَّ الزَّمَنِيَّ | the time limit |
| أَسْتَبْعِدَ | rule out |
| أُقَدِّرُ صَرَاحَتَكَ | I appreciate your honesty |
| لِلِاحْتِيَاطِ | as a precaution / backup |
| تَأْكِيدَ الْحَجْزَيْنِ | confirmation of both reservations |
| حَلٌّ مَقْبُولٌ | an acceptable solution |
| نُقَيِّمُ نَجَاحَهُ | we judge its success |
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
- Separate essential needs from preferences before offering a concession.
- Qualify promises and agree on a backup that protects both teams.
Explore the Arabic in this conversation
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this conversation.
Idha in Arabic: How to Say When and If
أَقْبَلُ اسْتِخْدَامَهَا إِذَا تَأَخَّرْتُمْ فِعْلًا
See how idha introduces a future situation and its conditional result.
Purpose Li in Arabic: How to Say “In Order To”
لِنَضْمَنَ تَوَفُّرَهَا
Notice the subjunctive verb after purpose li when Samir explains why he will reserve the room.
Arabic Comparatives: Bigger Than and Better Than
هِيَ أَهْدَأُ مِنَ الْمَسَاحَةِ الْمَفْتُوحَةِ
Compare two spaces with ahda and min, then observe the genitive noun after min.
