LingoflyThe first day at the office
A short text in Greek 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. The first day at the new office was hard. The boss showed me my desk and gave me the password for the internet. The…
Text
- Η πρώτη μέρα στο καινούργιο γραφείο ήταν δύσκολη. Το αφεντικό μού έδειξε το τραπέζι μου και μου έδωσε έναν κωδικό για το ίντερνετ. Οι συνάδελφοι ήταν φιλικοί, αλλά μιλούσαν γρήγορα και δεν καταλάβαινα τα πάντα. Στη συνάντηση είπα μόνο μία φράση: «Εξηγήστε ξανά, παρακαλώ».i próti méra sto kenúryo grafío ítan dískoli. to afendikó mu édikse to trapézi mu ke mu édose énan kodikó ya to índernet. i sinádelfi ítan filikí, alá milúsan grígora ke den katalávena ta pánda. sti sinándisi ípa móno mía frási: «eksiyíste ksaná, parakaló».The first day at the new office was hard. The boss showed me my desk and gave me the password for the internet. The colleagues were friendly but spoke fast, and I didn't understand everything. At the meeting I said only one phrase: 'Could you explain that again, please'.
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 the boss give on the first day?
- Why didn't the narrator understand everything?
- What did he say at the meeting?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Greek?
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.