Intermediate Arabic reading

The Little Gardener in Arabic

البستاني الصغير

The Little Gardener is a Intermediate-level Arabic reading text about Sami planting a seed and learning patience through daily care. Its fully vocalized Arabic helps learners read each word accurately, while the sentence-by-sentence English translation supports understanding. The story also includes optional Arabic audio, useful vocabulary, comprehension practice and a focused language point. It works well for independent reading, a short classroom lesson or shared practice with a parent.

Read the Arabic story with English translation

Read each Arabic sentence from right to left. Use the speaker button to hear the sentence, then check its English meaning underneath.

أَعْطَتِ الْأُمُّ سَامِيًا بَذْرَةً صَغِيرَةً، وَقَالَتْ: «هَلْ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَزْرَعَهَا؟»

Sami’s mother gave him a small seed and asked, “Would you like to plant it?”

حَفَرَ سَامِي حُفْرَةً صَغِيرَةً فِي تُرْبَةِ الْحَدِيقَةِ، وَوَضَعَ الْبَذْرَةَ فِيهَا.

Sami dug a small hole in the garden soil and placed the seed inside.

غَطَّاهَا بِالتُّرَابِ، وَسَقَاهَا بِقَلِيلٍ مِنَ الْمَاءِ، ثُمَّ وَضَعَ عَلَامَةً قُرْبَهَا.

He covered it with soil, watered it with a little water, and placed a marker beside it.

كَانَ يَزُورُهَا كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ، وَيَتَأَكَّدُ مِنْ أَنَّ التُّرْبَةَ رَطْبَةٌ وَأَنَّ الشَّمْسَ تَصِلُ إِلَيْهَا.

He visited it every morning and made sure the soil was moist and sunlight reached it.

مَرَّتْ أَيَّامٌ وَلَمْ يَظْهَرْ شَيْءٌ، فَسَأَلَ سَامِي أُمَّهُ: «هَلْ نَمَتْ بَذْرَتِي؟»

Days passed without anything appearing, so Sami asked his mother, “Has my seed grown?”

اِبْتَسَمَتْ أُمُّهُ وَقَالَتْ: «كُنْ صَبُورًا؛ فَالنَّبَاتُ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْوَقْتِ وَالْعِنَايَةِ.»

His mother smiled and said, “Be patient; a plant needs time and care.”

وَبَعْدَ أُسْبُوعٍ، ظَهَرَ بُرْعُمٌ أَخْضَرُ صَغِيرٌ، فَقَفَزَ سَامِي مِنَ الْفَرَحِ.

After a week, a small green shoot appeared, and Sami jumped for joy.

وَاصَلَ سَقْيَ النَّبْتَةِ وَحِمَايَتَهَا، حَتَّى أَصْبَحَتْ زَهْرَةً صَفْرَاءَ جَمِيلَةً.

He continued watering and protecting the plant until it became a beautiful yellow flower.

تَعَلَّمَ سَامِي أَنَّ النُّمُوَّ لَا يَحْدُثُ فِي لَحْظَةٍ، بَلْ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الصَّبْرِ وَالِاهْتِمَامِ.

Sami learned that growth does not happen in an instant; it needs patience and attention.

New Arabic words from the story

These words all appear in the story. Listen, repeat and find each one in the text above.

بَذْرَةٌ Seed
حُفْرَةٌ Hole
تُرْبَةٌ Soil
رَطْبَةٌ Moist
الْعِنَايَةُ Care
بُرْعُمٌ Shoot / sprout
وَاصَلَ Continued
النُّمُوُّ Growth

Reading comprehension questions

Choose one answer for each question. Your score updates after every first attempt.

Score: 0 / 4

1. أَيْنَ وَضَعَ سَامِي الْبَذْرَةَ؟

2. مَاذَا نَصَحَتِ الْأُمُّ سَامِيًا؟

3. إِلَى مَاذَا تَحَوَّلَتِ النَّبْتَةُ؟

4. لِمَاذَا كَانَ عَلَى سَامِي أَنْ يَنْتَظِرَ؟

Learn Arabic from this story

كَانَ + present verb describes a repeated past action

He visited it every morning and made sure the soil was moist and sunlight reached it.

كَانَ يَزُورُهَا describes something Sami used to do repeatedly in the past.

Another example: كَانَ يَسْقِي النَّبْتَةَ يَوْمِيًّا. — He used to water the plant daily.

For parents and teachers

Ask the learner to predict the story, then read or play each Arabic segment and identify words connected with plants, growth and habitual past actions. Have the learner arrange the main events in order, retell the problem and resolution, answer the comprehension questions, and use two new vocabulary items in original sentences.

Questions about The Little Gardener

What level is The Little Gardener?

The Little Gardener is marked Intermediate. The full tashkīl, English translation and sentence audio provide extra support for developing readers.

What can learners practise in The Little Gardener?

Learners practise connected reading, listening, comprehension and vocabulary related to plants, growth and habitual past actions.

How should this Arabic story be used?

Read one sentence at a time, listen to the audio, repeat the Arabic aloud, check the English only when needed, and then answer the questions from memory.

← Explore all 60 Arabic mini stories