A purchase on Saturday
A text in Arabic at level B1. The translation sits next to it for checking, not for support: at this level the text is read whole, and an unknown word is usually guessed from the sentence. On Saturday my wife and I went to the mall. In the shop window there was a dress of wool. The price is dearer, but the…
Text
- في يوم السبت ذهبنا مع زوجتي إلى المركز التجاري. في واجهة العرض كان فستان من الصوف. السعر أغلى، لكن القماش متين والعمل محكم. الكاشيرة قالت إن السعر سيقل مع بطاقة ولاء. في البيت فحصنا الفستان، وكان فيه عيب صغير. في الاثنين بدّلنا البضاعة، والإيصال المحفوظ سهّل كل شيء.фи йаум ас-сабт захабна маʿа заджатий иля аль-марказ ат-тиджаарий. фи ваджихат аль-ʿард кяна фустаан мин ас-сууф. ас-сиʿр аглаа, лякинн аль-кимаш матин ва-ль-ʿамаль махкам. аль-кашира кялят инн ас-сиʿр са-йякилль маʿа батаакат валааʾ. фи аль-бейт фахасна аль-фустаан, ва-кяна фихи ʿайб сагиир. фи аль-итнайн баддальна аль-бадааʿа, ва-ль-исааль аль-махфууз саххаль куль шайʾ.On Saturday my wife and I went to the mall. In the shop window there was a dress of wool. The price is dearer, but the cloth is sturdy and the work is solid. The cashier said the price will go down with a loyalty card. At home we examined the dress, and in it was a small flaw. On Monday we exchanged the item, and the kept receipt made it all easy.
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 go to the mall for?
- What is the dress made of?
- Why did the price go down?
- What was found at the home examination?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Arabic?
B1. That means: everyday topics are behind you, you know about three thousand words, and an unknown word is more often guessed from the sentence than looked up.
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.