Pasa diren urteak
A short in Basque text at level B1. 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. It has been a decade in this village, and everything has changed in that time. In those first years the streets were…
Text
- Hamarkada bat daramatzat herri honetan, eta dena aldatu da bitartean. Lehen urte haietan kaleak isilik zeuden gauean; gaur egun, aldiz, jendea ordu txikietan ibiltzen da kaleetan. Niretzako bira puntua etxe berria erostea izan zen: ordura arte alokairuan bizi nintzen, eta egonkortasun betia nahi nuen. Aldaketa horrekin berriro hasi nintzen: lagun berriak, lan berria, bizitza berria. Orain, atzera begiratzean, ulertzen dut urteek gure alde lan egiten dutela.It has been a decade in this village, and everything has changed in that time. In those first years the streets were silent at night; now, on the contrary, people walk the streets until late hours. For me the turning point was buying a house: before that I lived in a rental and wanted full stability. With that change I began anew: new friends, new job, new life. Now, looking back, I understand: the years work for us.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- How many years has the narrator been in the village?
- What were the streets like at night in the first years?
- What became the turning point?
- What did the narrator understand looking back?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Basque?
B1. 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.