Two sisters recognise different contributions and share responsibilities before hosting a gathering.
01Read the Arabic conversation
تَقَاسُمُ مَسْؤُولِيَّاتِ الضِّيَافَةِ
هَنَاءُ: أُحِبُّ اجْتِمَاعَ الْعَائِلَةِ عِنْدَنَا، لَكِنَّ التَّحْضِيرَ يُرْهِقُنِي. أُرِيدُ أَنْ نَتَّفِقَ قَبْلَ إِرْسَالِ دَعْوَةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ.
رَنَا: ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّنَا تَقَاسَمْنَا الْعَمَلَ فِي الْمَرَّةِ الْمَاضِيَةِ؛ فَقَدْ اشْتَرَيْتُ الطَّعَامَ وَدَفَعْتُ تَكْلِفَتَهُ مِنْ مَالِي.
هَنَاءُ: وَأَنَا أُقَدِّرُ ذَلِكَ، لَكِنَّنِي خَطَّطْتُ وَطَبَخْتُ وَنَظَّفْتُ بَعْدَ رَحِيلِ الْجَمِيعِ. تَكَرَّرَ هَذَا ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ.
رَنَا: لَمْ أُدْرِكْ أَنَّ التَّعَبَ تَرَاكَمَ عَلَيْكِ. هَلْ تَرَيْنَ أَنَّ مُشَارَكَتِي الْمَالِيَّةَ لَمْ تَكُنْ مُفِيدَةً؟
هَنَاءُ: بَلْ كَانَتْ مُهِمَّةً، وَأُرِيدُ الْحِفَاظَ عَلَيْهَا. طَلَبِي تَوْزِيعُ الْجُهْدِ الْعَمَلِيِّ أَيْضًا، لَا التَّقْلِيلُ مِنْ مُسَاهَمَتِكِ.
رَنَا: أَعْمَلُ حَتَّى مَسَاءِ الْخَمِيسِ، فَلَا أَسْتَطِيعُ الطَّبْخَ مُبَكِّرًا. لَكِنْ أَسْتَطِيعُ تَجْهِيزَ الطَّاوِلَةِ وَتَنْظِيمَ التَّنْظِيفِ.
هَنَاءُ: هَذَا يُسَاعِدُ، بِشَرْطِ أَلَّا أُصْبِحَ مَسْؤُولَةً عَنْ تَذْكِيرِكِ بِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ؛ فَالْمُتَابَعَةُ نَفْسُهَا عَمَلٌ أَيْضًا.
رَنَا: أَفْهَمُ قَصْدَكِ. سَأَتَوَلَّى التَّنْظِيفَ مِنْ بِدَايَتِهِ إِلَى نِهَايَتِهِ، وَسَأَطْلُبُ الْمُسَاعَدَةَ بِنَفْسِي إِذَا احْتَجْتُ إِلَيْهَا.
هَنَاءُ: وَلْنُبَسِّطِ الطَّعَامَ أَيْضًا. طَبَقٌ رَئِيسِيٌّ وَاحِدٌ أَسْهَلُ مِنْ ثَلَاثَةِ أَطْبَاقٍ، وَلَا يَقِلُّ تَرْحِيبُنَا بِالضُّيُوفِ بِذَلِكَ.
رَنَا: أُوَافِقُ، مَعَ أَنَّ بَعْضَ الْأَقَارِبِ اعْتَادُوا التَّنَوُّعَ. يُمْكِنُنَا تَوْضِيحُ أَنَّ الْغَرَضَ هُوَ اللِّقَاءُ، لَا كَثْرَةُ الْأَطْبَاقِ.
هَنَاءُ: سَأَطْبُخُ الطَّبَقَ الرَّئِيسِيَّ، وَأُرْسِلُ لَكِ قَائِمَةَ الْمَشْتَرَيَاتِ يَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ. هَلْ يَتَّسِعُ وَقْتُكِ لِشِرَائِهَا قَبْلَ الْجُمُعَةِ؟
رَنَا: نَعَمْ، سَأَشْتَرِيهَا مَسَاءَ الْخَمِيسِ وَأُؤَكِّدُ لَكِ اكْتِمَالَهَا. وَإِذَا نَقَصَ شَيْءٌ فَسَأَقْتَرِحُ بَدِيلًا بَدَلَ تَرْكِهِ لَكِ.
هَنَاءُ: مَاذَا عَنْ إِرْسَالِ الدَّعَوَاتِ وَمَعْرِفَةِ عَدَدِ الْحَاضِرِينَ؟ لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ تَبْقَى هَذِهِ الْمُهِمَّةُ مُعَلَّقَةً بَيْنَنَا.
رَنَا: سَأَتَوَاصَلُ مَعَ الْأَقَارِبِ وَأَجْمَعُ الرُّدُودَ قَبْلَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ. وَسَأُخْبِرُكِ بِالْعَدَدِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُعِدِّي قَائِمَةَ الطَّعَامِ.
هَنَاءُ: إِذَا تَأَخَّرَ عَمَلُكِ، فَأَخْبِرِينِي مُبَكِّرًا. يُمْكِنُنَا تَقْلِيلُ الْمَهَامِّ أَوْ تَأْجِيلُ اللِّقَاءِ بَدَلَ تَحَمُّلِي كُلَّ شَيْءٍ.
رَنَا: أُوَافِقُ، وَيَنْطَبِقُ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْكِ أَيْضًا. لَيْسَ عَلَى أَيٍّ مِنَّا أَنْ يُثْبِتَ مَحَبَّتَهُ بِتَجَاوُزِ طَاقَتِهِ.
هَنَاءُ: أَشْعُرُ بِارْتِيَاحٍ الْآنَ. كُنْتُ مُتَرَدِّدَةً فِي الْحَدِيثِ، لِأَنَّنِي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَفْهَمِي كَلَامِي اتِّهَامًا لَكِ.
رَنَا: كَانَ وَصْفُكِ لِلْمَهَامِّ أَوْضَحَ مِنْ قَوْلِ إِنَّنِي لَا أُسَاعِدُ. أَصْبَحْتُ أَرَى مَا لَمْ أَنْتَبِهْ إِلَيْهِ.
هَنَاءُ: لِنَكْتُبْ مَا اتَّفَقْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي رِسَالَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ، حَتَّى نَرْجِعَ إِلَيْهَا دُونَ تَكْرَارِ النِّقَاشِ كُلَّ مَرَّةٍ.
رَنَا: وَبَعْدَ اللِّقَاءِ نُرَاجِعُ التَّوْزِيعَ مَعًا. قَدْ تَحْتَاجُ مُهِمَّةٌ إِلَى وَقْتٍ أَطْوَلَ مِمَّا نَتَوَقَّعُهُ الْآنَ.
هَنَاءُ: إِذَنْ نَحْنُ مُتَّفِقَتَانِ عَلَى تَجْرِبَةٍ قَابِلَةٍ لِلتَّعْدِيلِ، وَلَيْسَ عَلَى حِسَابٍ دَقِيقٍ لِكُلِّ دَقِيقَةٍ نَعْمَلُهَا.
رَنَا: بِالضَّبْطِ؛ نُرِيدُ لِكِلْتَيْنَا أَنْ تَسْتَمْتِعَ بِاللِّقَاءِ. سَأُرْسِلُ الدَّعْوَةَ بَعْدَ كِتَابَةِ الْمَهَامِّ وَتَأْكِيدِ مُوَافَقَتِكِ عَلَيْهَا.
Show English translationHide English translation
Hana: I love family gatherings, but preparation exhausts me. Let us agree before another invitation.
Rana: I thought we shared the work last time; I bought and paid for the food.
Hana: I appreciate that, but I planned, cooked, and cleaned afterward. This happened three times.
Rana: I overlooked your growing exhaustion. Was my financial contribution unhelpful?
Hana: It mattered; I want to keep it. I ask to share practical effort too, without diminishing your contribution.
Rana: I work until Thursday evening, so cannot cook early. But I can set the table and organise cleanup.
Hana: That helps, provided I need not remind you of every step; following up is work too.
Rana: I understand. I will manage all cleanup and ask for help myself if needed.
Hana: Let us simplify the food. One main dish is easier than three, without lessening our welcome.
Rana: Agreed, although some relatives expect variety. We can explain that gathering matters, rather than many dishes.
Hana: I will cook the main dish and send you the shopping list on Wednesday. Will you have time to buy everything before Friday?
Rana: Yes, I will shop on Thursday evening and confirm everything is bought. If something is missing, I will suggest a substitute instead of leaving it to you.
Hana: What about invitations and attendance numbers? I do not want that task left undecided.
Rana: I will contact the relatives and gather replies before Wednesday. I will tell you the number before you prepare the menu.
Hana: If your work runs late, tell me early. We can reduce the tasks or postpone the gathering instead of me taking everything on.
Rana: I agree, and that applies to you too. Neither of us has to prove affection by exceeding our limits.
Hana: I feel relieved now. I was hesitant to speak because I feared you would take my words as an accusation.
Rana: Describing tasks was clearer than saying I never help. I see what I overlooked.
Hana: Let us write our agreement in one message so we can refer to it without repeating the discussion each time.
Rana: After the gathering, we will review the division together. A task may take longer than we currently expect.
Hana: So we agree on an arrangement we can adjust, rather than an exact accounting of every minute we work.
Rana: Exactly; we want both of us to enjoy the gathering. I will send the invitation after writing the tasks and confirming your agreement.
02Useful words and expressions
| Arabic in the conversation | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| تَرَاكَمَ عَلَيْكِ | built up for you |
| مُشَارَكَتِي الْمَالِيَّةَ | my financial contribution |
| الْجُهْدِ الْعَمَلِيِّ | practical effort |
| بِشَرْطِ أَلَّا | provided that … not |
| سَأَتَوَلَّى | I will take charge of |
| مُعَلَّقَةً بَيْنَنَا | left undecided between us |
| بِتَجَاوُزِ طَاقَتِهِ | by exceeding their capacity |
| اتِّهَامًا | an accusation |
| نُرَاجِعُ التَّوْزِيعَ | we review the division |
| قَابِلَةٍ لِلتَّعْدِيلِ | open to adjustment |
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
- Describe repeated tasks to make an imbalance clear while recognising existing contributions.
- Agree who owns each task, how to handle delays, and when to review the arrangement.
Explore the Arabic in this conversation
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this conversation.
Lakinna and Lakin in Arabic: Two Patterns for But
لَكِنَّ التَّحْضِيرَ يُرْهِقُنِي
Compare a contrast introduced by lakinna with the practical concern that follows it.
Arabic Comparatives: Bigger Than and Better Than
طَبَقٌ رَئِيسِيٌّ وَاحِدٌ أَسْهَلُ مِنْ ثَلَاثَةِ أَطْبَاقٍ
Review the comparative plus min pattern when comparing one dish with three.
Kana in Arabic: Was and Were
كُنْتُ مُتَرَدِّدَةً
Notice kuntu with a feminine accusative description of a past state.
