Arabic Reading Practice: Elementary
This elementary Arabic reading gives a short, fully-vowelled past-tense text about a weekend. Read it once for the gist, again to catch new words, use the glossed word list if you get stuck, then answer the comprehension questions.
Level: Elementary. Once you can read a beginner text, the next step is a slightly longer one that tells a story in the past. This page gives one short, fully-vowelled text about a weekend and a clear method to work through it — a few focused minutes that push your reading forward.
By the end of this page you can…
…read a short elementary Arabic text in the past tense, follow the order of events through its linking words, and answer questions about what happened.
How to read an elementary Arabic text
Do not translate word by word. Work in passes, each with its own goal:
- First read — the gist. Read the whole text once without stopping. What happened, and when?
- Second read — the order. Read again and watch the linking words ثُمَّ (thumma, then), وَ (wa, and) and فَـ (fa, so); they carry the sequence.
- Word list. Only now look at the glossed words below for anything still unclear.
- Answer, then check back. Do the comprehension questions, returning to the text to confirm each answer.
The text: A weekend
فِي نِهَايَةِ الأُسْبُوعِ ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ. (fī nihāyati l-usbūʿi dhahabtu ilā s-sūqi.) — At the weekend I went to the market. اِشْتَرَيْتُ الخُضَارَ وَالفَاكِهَةَ. (ishtaraytu l-khuḍāra wa-l-fākihata.) — I bought vegetables and fruit. ثُمَّ قَابَلْتُ صَدِيقِي فِي المَقْهَى. (thumma qābaltu ṣadīqī fī l-maqhā.) — Then I met my friend at the café. شَرِبْنَا القَهْوَةَ وَتَكَلَّمْنَا كَثِيرًا. (sharibnā l-qahwata wa-takallamnā kathīran.) — We drank coffee and talked a lot. كَانَ الطَّقْسُ جَمِيلًا، فَذَهَبْنَا إِلَى الحَدِيقَةِ. (kāna ṭ-ṭaqsu jamīlan, fa-dhahabnā ilā l-ḥadīqati.) — The weather was nice, so we went to the park. فِي المَسَاءِ قَرَأْتُ كِتَابًا فِي البَيْتِ. (fī l-masāʾi qaraʾtu kitāban fī l-bayti.) — In the evening I read a book at home. كَانَ أُسْبُوعًا جَمِيلًا وَهَادِئًا. (kāna usbūʿan jamīlan wa-hādiʾan.) — It was a nice and quiet week.
New words
| Arabic | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| نِهَايَةُ الأُسْبُوع | nihāyatu l-usbūʿ | the weekend |
| سُوق | sūq | market |
| اِشْتَرَى | ishtarā | to buy |
| خُضَار | khuḍār | vegetables |
| فَاكِهَة | fākiha | fruit |
| مَقْهَى | maqhā | café |
| طَقْس | ṭaqs | weather |
| حَدِيقَة | ḥadīqa | park / garden |
| قَرَأَ | qaraʾa | to read |
| هَادِئ | hādiʾ | quiet / calm |
Listen and repeat
Play each line, then say it aloud before you read on.
- فِي نِهَايَةِ الأُسْبُوعِ ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ.fī nihāyati l-usbūʿi dhahabtu ilā s-sūqi.At the weekend I went to the market.ـْتُ = I did
- اِشْتَرَيْتُ الخُضَارَ وَالفَاكِهَةَ.ishtaraytu l-khuḍāra wa-l-fākihata.I bought vegetables and fruit.
- ثُمَّ قَابَلْتُ صَدِيقِي.thumma qābaltu ṣadīqī.Then I met my friend.ثُمَّ = then
- شَرِبْنَا القَهْوَةَ.sharibnā l-qahwata.We drank coffee.ـْنَا = we did
- تَكَلَّمْنَا كَثِيرًا.takallamnā kathīran.We talked a lot.
- كَانَ الطَّقْسُ جَمِيلًا.kāna ṭ-ṭaqsu jamīlan.The weather was nice.كَانَ = was
- فَذَهَبْنَا إِلَى الحَدِيقَةِ.fa-dhahabnā ilā l-ḥadīqati.So we went to the park.فَـ = so
- فِي المَسَاءِ قَرَأْتُ كِتَابًا.fī l-masāʾi qaraʾtu kitāban.In the evening I read a book.
- كَانَ أُسْبُوعًا جَمِيلًا.kāna usbūʿan jamīlan.It was a nice week.
- كَانَ هَادِئًا.kāna hādiʾan.It was quiet.
Quick recap before you answer the questions.
Comprehension practice
Reading comprehension practice
Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.
Hint: the word for 'then / next'
Show answer
thumma — ثُمَّ (thumma) means 'then'.
4 Put the words in order: 'I went to the market.'
Show answer
ذَهَبْتُ (dhahabtu) إِلَى السُّوقِ (ilā s-sūqi) — Verb then place: ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ (dhahabtu ilā s-sūqi).
5 Match each word to its meaning.
- سُوق (sūq)
- مَقْهَى (maqhā)
- طَقْس (ṭaqs)
- حَدِيقَة (ḥadīqa)
Show answer
- سُوق (sūq) → market
- مَقْهَى (maqhā) → café
- طَقْس (ṭaqs) → weather
- حَدِيقَة (ḥadīqa) → park / garden
sūq market; maqhā café; ṭaqs weather; ḥadīqa park.
Quiz
Arabic reading comprehension quiz
8 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.
-
Show answer
at the weekend, نهاية الأسبوع (nihāyat al-usbūʿ) — فِي نِهَايَةِ الأُسْبُوعِ (fī nihāyati l-usbūʿi), 'at the weekend'.
-
Show answer
a friend, صديق (ṣadīq) — ثُمَّ قَابَلْتُ صَدِيقِي (thumma qābaltu ṣadīqī), 'then I met my friend'.
-
Show answer
drank coffee and talked, شربنا القهوة (sharibnā l-qahwa) — شَرِبْنَا القَهْوَةَ وَتَكَلَّمْنَا كَثِيرًا (sharibnā l-qahwata wa-takallamnā kathīran).
-
Show answer
the weather was nice, الطقس جميل (aṭ-ṭaqs jamīl) — كَانَ الطَّقْسُ جَمِيلًا، فَذَهَبْنَا إِلَى الحَدِيقَةِ (kāna ṭ-ṭaqsu jamīlan, fa-dhahabnā ilā l-ḥadīqati).
-
Show answer
read a book, قرأت كتابًا (qaraʾtu kitāban) — فِي المَسَاءِ قَرَأْتُ كِتَابًا (fī l-masāʾi qaraʾtu kitāban).
-
Show answer
I did — ذَهَبْتُ (dhahabtu) = 'I went'; ـْتُ (tu) marks the 'I' past form.
-
Show answer
read once for the gist — The first pass is for the gist — the overall meaning.
-
Show answer
nice and quiet, جميل وهادئ (jamīl wa-hādiʾ) — كَانَ أُسْبُوعًا جَمِيلًا وَهَادِئًا (kāna usbūʿan jamīlan wa-hādiʾan).
Next
- Go back over the beginner text: Arabic Reading Practice: Beginner
- Build the grammar behind the text in the Arabic grammar section
- New here? Start with Start Learning Arabic Here
All Arabic practice topics
Vocabulary, pronunciation, phrases, practice and exam help, ordered by level. Pick a topic and go straight to it. New lessons go live every day, so topics marked Coming soon fill in over the next weeks.
Practice
Beginner 1 topics · 1 ready
Elementary 3 topics · 2 ready
- 02 How to Practise Arabic Listening
- 03 Arabic Reading Practice: Elementary You are here
- 04 Idafa (Possessive Construction) Practice Coming soon
Intermediate 3 topics · 2 ready
- 05 Shadowing to Improve Arabic Speaking
- 06 Arabic Reading Practice: Intermediate
- 07 How to Practise Arabic Writing Coming soon