Advanced Arabic reading

The Young Scientist in Arabic

العالم الصغير

The Young Scientist is a Advanced-level Arabic reading text about scientific curiosity, safe experiments and environmental responsibility. 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.

مُنْذُ صِغَرِهِ، كَانَ نَبِيلٌ يَسْأَلُ عَنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يَرَاهُ: «لِمَاذَا؟ وَكَيْفَ؟»

From an early age, Nabil asked about everything he saw: “Why? How?”

كَانَ يُرَاقِبُ النَّبَاتَاتِ وَالْحَشَرَاتِ وَالْغُيُومَ، وَيُدَوِّنُ مُلَاحَظَاتِهِ فِي دَفْتَرٍ صَغِيرٍ.

He observed plants, insects, and clouds and recorded his observations in a small notebook.

وَفِي غُرْفَتِهِ، كَانَ يُجْرِي تَجَارِبَ بَسِيطَةً بِالْمَاءِ وَالضَّوْءِ وَالْمَغَانِطِ.

In his room, he carried out simple experiments with water, light, and magnets.

ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ، أَرَادَ أَنْ يَخْلِطَ مَادَّتَيْنِ لَا يَعْرِفُهُمَا، ثُمَّ تَذَكَّرَ قَاعِدَةَ السَّلَامَةِ فَتَوَقَّفَ.

One day, he wanted to mix two unfamiliar substances, but he remembered the safety rule and stopped.

طَلَبَ مُسَاعَدَةَ أَبِيهِ، فَقَرَآ التَّعْلِيمَاتِ وَاخْتَارَا تَجْرِبَةً آمِنَةً تَحْتَ إِشْرَافِهِ.

He asked his father for help, and together they read the instructions and chose a safe experiment under his supervision.

صَنَعَ نَبِيلٌ مُرَشِّحًا بَسِيطًا مِنَ الْحَصَى وَالرَّمْلِ وَالْقُطْنِ لِيُوَضِّحَ كَيْفَ تُنَقَّى الْمِيَاهُ.

Nabil made a simple filter from gravel, sand, and cotton to show how water is filtered.

عَرَضَ مَشْرُوعَهُ فِي مَعْرِضِ الْعُلُومِ، وَشَرَحَ لِزُمَلَائِهِ أَنَّ الْمَاءَ الْمُرَشَّحَ لَا يَصْلُحُ دَائِمًا لِلشُّرْبِ.

He presented his project at the science fair and explained that filtered water is not always safe to drink.

أُعْجِبَتِ الْمُعَلِّمَةُ بِدِقَّتِهِ وَحِرْصِهِ عَلَى السَّلَامَةِ، وَشَجَّعَتْهُ عَلَى مُوَاصَلَةِ التَّعَلُّمِ.

His teacher admired his accuracy and attention to safety and encouraged him to keep learning.

كَبِرَ حُلْمُ نَبِيلٍ، وَقَرَّرَ أَنْ يَدْرُسَ الْعُلُومَ لِيُسَاعِدَ النَّاسَ وَيَحْمِيَ الْبِيئَةَ.

Nabil’s dream grew, and he decided to study science to help people and protect the environment.

عَرَفَ أَنَّ الْعَالِمَ الْجَيِّدَ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ الْفُضُولِ وَالدِّقَّةِ وَالْمَسْؤُولِيَّةِ.

He learned that a good scientist combines curiosity, accuracy, and responsibility.

New Arabic words from the story

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

يُدَوِّنُ Records
مُلَاحَظَاتٌ Observations
مَغَانِطُ Magnets
مَادَّتَانِ Two substances
السَّلَامَةُ Safety
مُرَشِّحٌ Filter
الْحَصَى Gravel
الدِّقَّةُ Accuracy
الْمَسْؤُولِيَّةُ Responsibility

Reading comprehension questions

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

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1. مَاذَا كَانَ نَبِيلٌ يُدَوِّنُ فِي دَفْتَرِهِ؟

2. لِمَاذَا تَوَقَّفَ نَبِيلٌ عَنْ خَلْطِ الْمَادَّتَيْنِ؟

3. مَا الصِّفَاتُ الَّتِي يَجْمَعُهَا الْعَالِمُ الْجَيِّدُ؟

4. لِمَاذَا طَلَبَ نَبِيلٌ مُسَاعَدَةَ أَبِيهِ؟

5. لِمَاذَا لَا يَصْلُحُ الْمَاءُ الْمُرَشَّحُ دَائِمًا لِلشُّرْبِ؟

Learn Arabic from this story

لِـ + present verb can express purpose

Nabil made a simple filter from gravel, sand, and cotton to show how water is filtered.

The لِـ in لِيُوَضِّحَ means “in order to.” The following present verb takes the subjunctive ending.

Another example: أَقْرَأُ لِأَتَعَلَّمَ. — I read in order to learn.

For parents and teachers

Read the story in sections and discuss the ideas connected with science, experiment safety and purpose clauses. Ask the learner to summarize each section, explain character motives or causes, support inferences with evidence from the Arabic, answer the comprehension questions, and finish with a short written or creative response.

Questions about The Young Scientist

What level is The Young Scientist?

The Young Scientist is marked Advanced. The full tashkīl, English translation and sentence audio provide extra support for developing readers.

What can learners practise in The Young Scientist?

Learners practise connected reading, listening, comprehension and vocabulary related to science, experiment safety and purpose clauses.

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.

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