وَقْت الفَرَاغ وَالطَّقْس وَالخُطَطLeisure, Weather, and Plans
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Talk about future plans using the future markers سَـ and سَوْفَ with the imperfect verb.
- Ask and answer questions about the weather using common weather expressions.
- Name everyday leisure activities and say what you plan to do in your free time.
- Express ability using a formulaic expression built on أَسْتَطِيع.
- Extend, accept, and decline a simple invitation.
- Recognize that Arabic verbs belong to a base form and a family of related derived forms, and recognize three common derived forms in context.
- Recycle imperative and prepositional-suffix language from Chapter 11 within a new communicative context.
- Read and interpret a short weather forecast and a written invitation.
- Produce a short spoken or written exchange about weekend plans.
Communication Scenario
It is Thursday afternoon, and Tom runs into his classmate لَيْلَى near the station from Chapter 11. The weekend is coming, and Layla wants to make plans. They check the weather, talk about what they are able to do, and Layla invites Tom to join a group outing on Saturday.
- Before you begin, think about how you talk about future plans in English: what words signal that something has not happened yet?
- This chapter introduces the future tense for the first time. You will also learn to say what you can do, and to invite someone to join an activity.
Core Vocabulary
The following items are productive for this chapter. Each place or activity noun includes gender and plural; each verb includes form, perfect, imperfect, and transitivity, following the noun and verb metadata standards for Volume I.
| Arabic | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| الطَّقْس | the weather | masc. |
| الجَوّ حَارّ | it's hot (weather) | nominal sentence |
| الجَوّ بَارِد | it's cold (weather) | nominal sentence |
| الجَوّ مُعْتَدِل | it's mild (weather) | nominal sentence |
| تُمْطِر | it's raining | 3rd person fem. sg. imperfect, recognition |
| مُشْمِس | sunny | adjective, masc./fem. agreement applies |
| غَائِم | cloudy | adjective, masc./fem. agreement applies |
| Arabic | Meaning | Gender / Plural |
|---|---|---|
| نُزْهَة | outing, excursion | fem. / نُزَه |
| حَدِيقَة | park, garden | fem. / حَدَائِق |
| فِيلْم | film | masc. / أَفْلَام |
| نِهَايَة الأُسْبُوع | the weekend | fem. (construct phrase) |
| غَدًا | tomorrow | adverb |
| بَعْد غَد | the day after tomorrow | adverbial phrase |
| يَوْم السَّبْت | Saturday | masc. (recycled numeral pattern) |
| Arabic | Meaning | Form / Perfect / Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| شَاهَدَ / يُشَاهِد | to watch | Form III, transitive |
| لَعِبَ / يَلْعَب | to play | Form I, transitive/intransitive with مَعَ |
| سَاعَدَ / يُسَاعِد | to help | Form III, transitive |
| فَضَّلَ / يُفَضِّل | to prefer | Form II, transitive |
| أَرْسَلَ / يُرْسِل | to send | Form IV, transitive |
| أَسْتَطِيع أَنْ... | I am able to... / I can... | formulaic ability expression |
All items above are new; they are marked I (introduced) in the Chapter 12 matrix column. Weather adjectives recycle the adjective agreement system from Chapter 6, and أَسْتَطِيع أَنْ is presented as a formulaic expression rather than a full weak-verb paradigm.
Pronunciation Focus
The short future prefix سَـ attaches directly to the imperfect verb and is pronounced as a light, unstressed syllable, never as a separate word: سَأَذْهَب is one connected word, pronounced with the main stress falling on the verb itself rather than on the prefix.
The independent future word سَوْفَ is pronounced as its own word before the imperfect verb and carries slightly more emphasis than the attached prefix, which is useful when you want to make a future plan sound more deliberate.
Continue applying the emphatic and pharyngeal contrasts from earlier chapters; this chapter's ط in أَسْتَطِيع and ح in حَارّ should remain clearly distinct.
The Future Tense — المُسْتَقْبَل
To talk about the weekend before it happens, Tom and Layla need a way to mark an action as not-yet-completed but planned — exactly what the future tense does.
- سَأَذْهَب إِلَى الحَدِيقَة غَدًا.I will go to the park tomorrow.سَـ + imperfect
- سَوْفَ نُشَاهِد فِيلْمًا يَوْم السَّبْت.We will watch a film on Saturday.سَوْفَ + imperfect
- هَلْ سَتَذْهَبِينَ مَعَنَا؟Will you (fem.) go with us?question with future prefix
- لَنْ أَذْهَب إِذَا كَانَ الجَوّ بَارِدًا.I will not go if the weather is cold.future negation, receptive this chapter
The future tense does not introduce a new verb conjugation. It reuses the imperfect subject-marking system from earlier chapters and simply adds a marker in front of it. If you can conjugate a verb in the imperfect, you can already say it in the future — you only need to add سَـ or سَوْفَ. The negative future with لَنْ is included here for recognition only; it becomes a full productive target in a later chapter.
تَدْرِيب — Practice: Add the future prefix سَـ to each imperfect verb.
- (أَنَا) ______ أَلْعَب فِي الحَدِيقَة غَدًا. (I will play in the park tomorrow)
- (هِيَ) ______ تُشَاهِد فِيلْمًا بَعْد غَد. (she will watch a film the day after tomorrow)
- (نَحْنُ) ______ نَذْهَب إِلَى نُزْهَة يَوْم السَّبْت. (we will go on an outing on Saturday)
Ability and Invitations — القُدْرَة وَالدَّعْوَة
Making weekend plans also means saying what you are able to do, and inviting someone to join you.
- أَسْتَطِيع أَنْ أَذْهَب مَعَك يَوْم السَّبْت.I can go with you on Saturday.أَسْتَطِيع أَنْ + verb
- هَلْ تَسْتَطِيعِين أَنْ تَأْتِي؟Can you (fem.) come?تَسْتَطِيعِين أَنْ + verb
- هَلْ تُحِبّ أَنْ نَذْهَب إِلَى الحَدِيقَة؟Would you like us to go to the park?formulaic invitation
- بِكُلّ سُرُور!With pleasure! (accepting)formulaic acceptance
- آسِف، لَا أَسْتَطِيع.Sorry, I can't.formulaic decline
أَسْتَطِيع and تُحِبّ belong to irregular verb families that are not fully activated for production until later volumes. In Volume I, treat أَسْتَطِيع أَنْ... and هَلْ تُحِبّ أَنْ...؟ as fixed, memorized patterns: learn the whole phrase and change only the verb that follows أَنْ. Do not try to conjugate أَسْتَطِيع or تُحِبّ through every person yet — أَنَا, أَنْتَ, and أَنْتِ forms are enough for this chapter's tasks.
تَدْرِيب — Practice: Complete each exchange with an acceptance or a polite decline.
- هَلْ تُحِبّ أَنْ تُشَاهِد فِيلْمًا مَعَنَا؟ ______
- هَلْ تَسْتَطِيع أَنْ تَذْهَب إِلَى النُّزْهَة؟ ______
Introducing Derived Forms — الأَوْزَان المُشْتَقَّة
You have been using Form I verbs since Chapter 7. This chapter introduces the idea that Arabic verbs also come in related derived forms built on the same root, each adding a shade of meaning.
- سَأُسَاعِدُك فِي البَيْت.I will help you at home.Form III, future + derived verb
- أُفَضِّل النُّزْهَة عَلَى الفِيلْم.I prefer the outing to the film.Form II
- سَتُرْسِل لَيْلَى رِسَالَة لِأَصْدِقَائِهَا.Layla will send a message to her friends.Form IV, future
Derived forms are one of the most powerful patterns in Arabic morphology, but full productive control of all ten forms belongs to later volumes of this series. For now, treat each derived-form verb in this chapter as a normal vocabulary item with its own perfect and imperfect, and simply notice that its meaning relates to a shared root. Do not attempt to invent new derived-form verbs from roots you already know; only attested, taught forms are correct.
تَدْرِيب — Practice: Match each derived verb to its meaning.
- فَضَّلَ — a) to send b) to prefer c) to help
- سَاعَدَ — a) to send b) to prefer c) to help
- أَرْسَلَ — a) to send b) to prefer c) to help
Model Dialogue
Setting: Tom runs into his classmate Layla near the station and they plan their weekend.
السِّيَاق: يُقَابِل تُوم زَمِيلَتَهُ لَيْلَى قُرْبَ المَحَطَّة، وَيَتَحَدَّثَانِ عَنْ خُطَط نِهَايَة الأُسْبُوع.
أَسْئِلَة الفَهْم — Comprehension questions:
- Identify every future-tense verb in the dialogue and state whether it uses سَـ or سَوْفَ.
- Identify the derived-form verb Tom uses to say what he prefers.
- مَاذَا سَيَفْعَل تُوم وَلَيْلَى مَسَاءَ السَّبْت؟ (What will Tom and Layla do Saturday evening?)
Guided Practice
Complete each sentence with the correct future form, ability expression, or derived-form verb.
- (أَنَا) ______ (ذَهَبَ) إِلَى الحَدِيقَة إِذَا كَانَ الجَوّ مُشْمِسًا.
- هَلْ (أَنْتَ) ______ (اسْتَطَاعَ) أَنْ تَأْتِي مَعَنَا غَدًا؟
- هِيَ ______ (فَضَّلَ) النُّزْهَة عَلَى الفِيلْم.
- نَحْنُ ______ (سَاعَدَ) أَصْدِقَاءَنَا يَوْم السَّبْت.
Compare your answers with the Answer Key at the end of the chapter after you finish this station.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following short weather forecast aloud twice at a moderate pace. Listen without reading along the first time, then answer the questions below.
غَدًا سَيَكُون الجَوّ مُشْمِسًا فِي الصَّبَاح. بَعْد الظُّهْر سَيَكُون الجَوّ غَائِمًا قَلِيلًا، وَلَكِنَّهُ لَنْ يُمْطِر. الجَوّ سَيَكُون مُعْتَدِلًا طَوَال اليَوْم.
مُهِمَّة الاسْتِمَاع — Listening task
Draw a simple three-part chart (morning / afternoon / evening) and fill in the expected weather for each part, based only on what you hear. Then answer:
- Will it rain tomorrow, according to the forecast?
- What is the weather like in the afternoon?
Speaking Practice
تَدْرِيب مُوَجَّه — Controlled practice: Weekend chains
With a partner, take turns saying three future-tense sentences about your own weekend plans, using at least one leisure activity and one weather expression from this chapter.
مُهِمَّة تَوَاصُل — Communicative task: Extending an invitation
Role-play the dialogue scenario with a partner: one of you invites the other to a weekend activity, and the other either accepts with بِكُلّ سُرُور or politely declines with آسِف، لَا أَسْتَطِيع, giving a reason.
لِلْمُتَعَلِّمِينَ المُسْتَقِلِّينَ — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing your plans for the next three days, using at least three future-tense verbs, one ability expression, and one derived-form verb from this chapter. Listen back and check your future forms against the Grammar Focus section.
Reading Practice
Read the short weather notice and the written invitation below, then answer the questions that follow.
Text 1 — Weather notice
الطَّقْس هَذَا الأُسْبُوع: الجَوّ مُشْمِس يَوْم الخَمِيس وَالجُمُعَة. يَوْم السَّبْت سَيَكُون الجَوّ غَائِمًا.
Text 2 — A written invitation
عَزِيزِي تُوم، هَلْ تُحِبّ أَنْ تَذْهَب مَعِي إِلَى الحَدِيقَة يَوْم السَّبْت؟ سَنُشَاهِد النَّاس يَلْعَبُونَ، ثُمَّ سَنُشَاهِد فِيلْمًا. أَسْتَطِيع أَنْ أُسَاعِدَك فِي شِرَاء التَّذَاكِر. أَرْسِل لِي رِسَالَة إِذَا كُنْتَ تَسْتَطِيع أَنْ تَأْتِي.
لَيْلَى
أَسْئِلَة الفَهْم — Comprehension questions:
- According to Text 1, on which day will it be cloudy?
- According to Text 2, what two activities does Layla propose?
- What does Layla offer to help Tom with?
Writing Workshop
In this chapter's writing task, you will write a short message inviting a friend to a weekend activity.
- Choose an activity and a day. Pick a real or invented leisure activity and a day of the week.
- Check the weather. Decide what the weather will be like and note it using a weather expression from this chapter.
- Draft the invitation. Write four to six sentences using at least two future-tense verbs, one ability expression, and one derived-form verb from this chapter.
- Recycle one earlier system. Include a prepositional pronoun suffix or an imperative verb recycled from Chapter 11.
- Revise. Check your draft against the editing checklist below.
قَائِمَة المُرَاجَعَة — Editing checklist:
- I used at least two correctly formed future-tense verbs with سَـ or سَوْفَ.
- I used the ability expression أَسْتَطِيع أَنْ or تَسْتَطِيع أَنْ correctly.
- I used at least one derived-form verb from this chapter's vocabulary.
- I included a weather expression and a leisure-activity noun.
- I recycled a prepositional pronoun suffix or imperative verb from Chapter 11.
- I wrote all letters and endings with correct right-to-left joining.
Culture and Communication
The days that make up the weekend vary across Arabic-speaking countries. In many countries, the weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, while in some others it falls on Saturday and Sunday, and practices continue to change over time in some places. When making plans in MSA, it is common and useful to name the specific day rather than assume a single fixed weekend pattern.
The MSA invitation and acceptance phrases in this chapter are the productive target. In everyday spoken Arabic across different regions, learners will often hear different expressions for extending or accepting an invitation in casual speech. If your instructor introduces a labeled regional comparison, treat it as receptive and comparative information rather than a substitute for the MSA forms practiced here.
Common Mistakes
Error: Writing the future prefix with a space, such as *سَ أَذْهَب.
Correction: سَـ attaches directly to the verb with no space: سَأَذْهَب.
Error: Attempting to produce every person of اسْتَطَاعَ without having studied its full weak-verb pattern yet.
Correction: Use only the taught forms — أَسْتَطِيع, تَسْتَطِيع, and تَسْتَطِيعِين — as fixed formulaic expressions this chapter; the full paradigm is a later-volume target.
Error: Using a masculine imperfect verb with a feminine subject after adding the future marker, such as *لَيْلَى سَيَذْهَب.
Correction: The future marker does not change the agreement system you already know: لَيْلَى سَتَذْهَب.
Chapter Review
Section A — القَوَاعِد (Grammar)
1. Give the future form of أَذْهَب using both سَـ and سَوْفَ.
2. Complete: هَلْ أَنْتِ ______ أَنْ تَأْتِي؟ (can you come?)
3. Correct the error: *لَيْلَى سَيَذْهَب إِلَى الحَدِيقَة.
Section B — المُفْرَدَات (Vocabulary)
1. Name three weather expressions from this chapter.
2. Give the Arabic derived-form verbs for "to prefer," "to help," and "to send," and name each one's form (II, III, or IV).
Section C — اسْتِيعَاب المَقْرُوء (Reading)
1. Based on Text 2 in the Reading Practice section, describe Layla's plan in your own words.
Section D — الكِتَابَة وَالتَّعْبِير الشَّفَهِيّ (Writing and Speaking)
1. Write and then say aloud a four-sentence weekend plan, using at least two future-tense verbs and one ability expression.
مُرَاجَعَة تَرَاكُمِيَّة — Cumulative review
Complete the short exchange below, combining this chapter's language with Chapter 11 direction language.
أ: هَلْ تُحِبّ أَنْ نَذْهَب إِلَى الحَدِيقَة غَدًا؟
ب: ______________________________________ (accept or decline, and mention the weather)
أ: حَسَنًا! اِذْهَبْ إِلَى المَحَطَّة أَوَّلًا.
ب: ______________________________________ (respond, using a future-tense verb)
Chapter Performance Task
مُهِمَّة الأَدَاء
مَاذَا سَتَفْعَل هَذَا الأُسْبُوع؟ — What will you do this week?
Complete the following, combining every system from this chapter:
- Written: Write a short invitation of five to seven sentences proposing a weekend activity, using at least three future-tense verbs, one ability expression, and one derived-form verb from this chapter's vocabulary.
- Reading: Read a short, unfamiliar weather forecast provided by your instructor and summarize it in one sentence.
- Spoken: Read your written invitation aloud to a partner, who will accept or decline using the phrases from this chapter.
- Reflection: Write one sentence in English identifying whether the future tense or the derived-form verbs felt more automatic, and why.
Assessment focus: correct future-tense formation and gender agreement, accurate use of the ability expression, correct use of the three taught derived-form verbs, and the ability to extend and respond to an invitation.
Answer Key
Grammar Focus — Future tense practice
- سَأَلْعَب فِي الحَدِيقَة غَدًا.
- سَتُشَاهِد فِيلْمًا بَعْد غَد.
- سَنَذْهَب إِلَى نُزْهَة يَوْم السَّبْت.
Grammar Focus — Ability and invitations practice
Sample answers: نَعَم، بِكُلّ سُرُور! / آسِف، لَا أَسْتَطِيع. Other accurate acceptances or polite declines are equally acceptable.
Grammar Focus — Derived forms matching
- فَضَّلَ — b) to prefer
- سَاعَدَ — c) to help
- أَرْسَلَ — a) to send
Guided Practice
- سَأَذْهَب إِلَى الحَدِيقَة إِذَا كَانَ الجَوّ مُشْمِسًا.
- هَلْ أَنْتَ تَسْتَطِيع أَنْ تَأْتِي مَعَنَا غَدًا؟
- هِيَ تُفَضِّل النُّزْهَة عَلَى الفِيلْم.
- نَحْنُ سَنُسَاعِد أَصْدِقَاءَنَا يَوْم السَّبْت.
Dialogue — Comprehension
- Future-tense verbs: سَيَكُون (سَـ, twice), سَوْفَ نُشَاهِد, سَنُشَاهِد (سَـ), سَأُرْسِل (سَـ).
- أُفَضِّل ("I prefer"), Form II.
- They will watch people playing in the park, then watch a film in the evening.
Listening Practice
- No — the forecast says it will not rain.
- The weather will be slightly cloudy in the afternoon.
Reading Practice — Comprehension
- Saturday.
- Watching people play in the park, and watching a film.
- Buying the tickets.
Chapter Review — Section A
- سَأَذْهَب / سَوْفَ أَذْهَب
- تَسْتَطِيعِين
- *لَيْلَى سَيَذْهَب → لَيْلَى سَتَذْهَب إِلَى الحَدِيقَة
Chapter Review — Section B, sample answer
الجَوّ حَارّ, الجَوّ بَارِد, الجَوّ مُعْتَدِل. فَضَّلَ (Form II), سَاعَدَ (Form III), أَرْسَلَ (Form IV).
Chapter Review — Section D, model answer
سَأَذْهَب إِلَى الحَدِيقَة يَوْم السَّبْت. الجَوّ سَيَكُون مُشْمِسًا. أَسْتَطِيع أَنْ أُشَاهِد فِيلْمًا مَسَاءً. سَأُرْسِل رِسَالَة لِأَصْدِقَائِي. Other well-formed, accurate answers are equally acceptable.
Cumulative Review — Model responses for Speaker B
ب: نَعَم، بِكُلّ سُرُور! الجَوّ سَيَكُون مُشْمِسًا.
ب: حَسَنًا، سَأَذْهَب إِلَى المَحَطَّة أَوَّلًا.
Exact wording will vary. Check that future-tense agreement and the ability or invitation phrases are used correctly and consistently.
Looking Ahead
مَا الَّذِي تَسْتَطِيعُ فِعْلَهُ الآن — What you can do now
You can talk about future plans, discuss the weather, express what you are able to do, extend and respond to invitations, and recognize three common derived verb forms. You can combine this new system with direction and imperative language from Chapter 11 in a single connected exchange.