A quarrel and reconciliation
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. Last week my friend and I argued over a trifle. For three days I did not see my friend. On Saturday he called me and…
Text
- في الأسبوع الماضي اختلف أنا وصديقي على شيء صغير. ثلاثة أيام لا أرى صديقي. في السبت اتصل بي وقال: هذا ذنبي. كل سبت نلتقي في المقهى ونحن سعداء.фи аль-исбууʿ аль-маады ихталяфа ана ва-садийки аля шайʾ сагиир. салясат айяам ля ара садийки. фи ас-сабт иттасаля би ва-каля: хаза занби. куль сабт нальтакии фи аль-махка ва-нахну саʿидууна.Last week my friend and I argued over a trifle. For three days I did not see my friend. On Saturday he called me and said: it is my fault. Every Saturday we meet at the coffeehouse, and we are happy.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- What did they quarrel over?
- How many days did he not see his friend?
- What did the friend say on Saturday?
- What do they do every Saturday?
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.