Friday in the old city
A short text in Arabic at level A2. The translation sits next to it: reading with a dictionary is still too early at this level, and without support it will not happen at all. On Friday the father goes to the mosque. In the church there is a bell, and in the mosque there is none. After the…
Text
- يوم الجمعة الأب يذهب إلى المسجد. في الكنيسة جرس, وفي المسجد لا. بعد الصلاة الطعام مع العائلة. هذه عادة قديمة كل أسبوع.йаум аль-джумʿа аль-аб йазхабу иля аль-масджид. фи аль-канииса джарас, ва-фи аль-масджид ля. баʿд ас-саляа ат-таʿаам маʿа аль-ʿааʾиля. хазихи ʿаада кадиима куль исбууʿ.On Friday the father goes to the mosque. In the church there is a bell, and in the mosque there is none. After the prayer — a meal with the family. It is an old custom every week.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Where does the father go on Friday?
- Where is there a bell?
- What is there after the prayer?
- How often does this happen?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Arabic?
A2. That means: you know the letters and have a stock of everyday words — about two or three hundred.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.