Ahmad and his brother walking to school, Arabic short story for beginners

Arabic Short Story for Beginners (Level 1) with Vocabulary

Welcome to the first story in our Arabic Short Stories for Beginners series. Read the story slowly, first without looking at the table, then check the new words and answer the questions at the end.

The Story | القِصَّة

أَحْمَدُ وَالْكِتَابُ الْجَدِيدُ

أَحْمَدُ طَالِبٌ صَغِيرٌ. يَسْكُنُ فِي مَدِينَةٍ جَمِيلَةٍ.

كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ يَذْهَبُ أَحْمَدُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ مَعَ أَخِيهِ.

فِي الطَّرِيقِ يَرَى أَحْمَدُ مَكْتَبَةً كَبِيرَةً.

Ahmad and his brother walk to school in the morning past a big bookshop
Every morning Ahmad walks to school with his brother and passes a big bookshop.

يَدْخُلُ الْمَكْتَبَةَ وَيَشْتَرِي كِتَابًا جَدِيدًا.

الْكِتَابُ عَنِ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ، وَأَحْمَدُ يُحِبُّ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ كَثِيرًا.

Ahmad holds a new book about animals inside the bookshop
Ahmad enters the bookshop and buys a new book about animals.

يَرْجِعُ أَحْمَدُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ وَيَقْرَأُ الْكِتَابَ مَعَ أُمِّهِ.

Ahmad and his mother reading the animal book together at home
Back at home, Ahmad reads the book with his mother.

تَقُولُ الْأُمُّ: «مَا شَاءَ اللهُ! أَنْتَ تُحِبُّ الْقِرَاءَةَ يَا أَحْمَدُ».

يَبْتَسِمُ أَحْمَدُ وَيَقُولُ: «الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، الْقِرَاءَةُ جَمِيلَةٌ».

Vocabulary Table | المُفْرَدَات

Arabic Transliteration English
طَالِبٌṭālibstudent
صَغِيرٌṣaghīrsmall, young
يَسْكُنُyaskunlives (resides)
مَدِينَةٌmadīnacity
جَمِيلَةٌjamīlabeautiful
صَبَاحٌṣabāḥmorning
يَذْهَبُyadhhabgoes
مَدْرَسَةٌmadrasaschool
أَخٌakhbrother
طَرِيقٌṭarīqroad, way
يَرَىyarāsees
مَكْتَبَةٌmaktabalibrary, bookshop
كَبِيرَةٌkabīrabig
يَدْخُلُyadkhulenters
يَشْتَرِيyashtarībuys
كِتَابٌkitābbook
جَدِيدٌjadīdnew
حَيَوَانٌḥayawānanimal
يُحِبُّyuḥibbloves, likes
يَرْجِعُyarjiʿreturns
بَيْتٌbaythouse, home
يَقْرَأُyaqraʾreads
أُمٌّummmother
يَبْتَسِمُyabtasimsmiles
قِرَاءَةٌqirāʾareading

Grammar Note | مُلَاحَظَةٌ نَحْوِيَّةٌ

Look at the verbs in the story: يَسْكُنُ، يَذْهَبُ، يَرَى، يَدْخُلُ، يَشْتَرِي. They all begin with يَـ. This is the present tense (الفِعْل المُضَارِع) for “he”. Whenever you see a verb starting with يَـ, it usually means he does or he is doing something.

Comprehension Questions | أَسْئِلَةُ الفَهْمِ

1. أَيْنَ يَذْهَبُ أَحْمَدُ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ؟ (Where does Ahmad go every morning?)
2. مَاذَا يَشْتَرِي أَحْمَدُ مِنَ الْمَكْتَبَةِ؟ (What does Ahmad buy from the bookshop?)
3. مَعَ مَنْ يَقْرَأُ أَحْمَدُ الْكِتَابَ؟ (With whom does Ahmad read the book?)
Show the answers
1. يَذْهَبُ أَحْمَدُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ. (He goes to school.)
2. يَشْتَرِي كِتَابًا جَدِيدًا. (He buys a new book.)
3. يَقْرَأُ الْكِتَابَ مَعَ أُمِّهِ. (He reads it with his mother.)

Practice Tip

Read the story aloud three times with the vowels on. Then press Hide vowels and read it again. This is how fluent readers read Arabic every day. Finally, cover the English column of the table and test yourself on the Arabic words.

Want to practise offline? Download this story with its pictures, vocabulary table and questions as a printable PDF.

Download the PDF

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Next story in the series: Level 1, Story 2: Fatima at the Market

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