The furnishing of the apartment
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. We took a new apartment without furniture, so we bought many things. First the bed and the table — without them one…
Text
- أخذنا شقة جديدة بدون أثاث, فاشترينا أشياء كثيرة. أولا سريرا وطاولة, ولا يمكن بدونها. الأريكة قديمة, وهي أرخص من الجديدة كثيرا. بعد شهر اشترينا سجادة وستارة ومرآة. الرفّ الثقيل حملّه الجار, لأن عنده مثقابا.ахазна шаккатан джадида бидуун асаат, фа-иштарайна ашйааʾ кясиира. аввалан сариаран ва-таавиля, ва-ля юмкин бидунихума. аль-ариика кадиима, ва-хийя архас мин аль-джадида кясииран. баʿд шахр иштарайна саджжаада ва-ситаара ва-мираа. ар-рафф ас-сакииль хаммалаху аль-джар, ли-анна ʿиндаху мискаабан.We took a new apartment without furniture, so we bought many things. First the bed and the table — without them one cannot. The sofa is old, and it is much cheaper than a new one. After a month we bought a carpet, a curtain and a mirror. The neighbor carried the heavy shelf, because he has a drill.
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 kind of apartment did they take?
- What did they buy first?
- Why is the sofa cheaper?
- Who carried the heavy shelf?
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.