LingoflyAitonaren istorioa
A text in Basque 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. Grandpa told a story at dinner, and we all fell silent. When he was almost forty, he said, a storm caught them at sea…
Text
- Aitonak istorio bat kontatu zuen afarian, eta guztiak isilik egon ginen. Ia berrogei urte zituela, itsasoan ekaitzak harrapatu zuela esan zuen: olatuek itsasontzia alde batetik bestera eramaten zuten, orduetan zehar. Nik ez nuke sinetsiko, baina amonak baieztatu egin zuen: lekukoa izan zen, lehorretik. Bere esanetan, itsasoak dena eskatzen zien, eta haiek dena eman zioten. Istorioa bihotzean geratu zait: ekaitza pasa da, baina itsasoaren errespetua gelditu da.Grandpa told a story at dinner, and we all fell silent. When he was almost forty, he said, a storm caught them at sea: a wave threw the boat from side to side for hours. I would not have believed it, but grandma confirmed: she was a witness, from the shore. In her words, the sea demanded everything of them, and they gave everything. The story sunk into my soul: the storm passed, and the respect for the sea stayed.
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 old was grandpa in that storm?
- Who confirmed the story?
- Where was grandma during the storm?
- What stayed with the narrator after the story?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Basque?
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.