The wardrobe from the basement
A short text in Hebrew 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. In grandma's basement stands a very old wardrobe. The wood is rough, and the paint has faded in the sun and does not…
Text
- במרתף של סבתא עומד ארון ישן מאוד. העץ מחוספס, והצבע דהוי מהשמש ולא מבריק. אחת הדלתות עקומה, ועל המדף התחתון כתם של צבע. למרות זאת הארון שלם ועדיין שמיש, רק המפתח חלוד. סבא אומר שהוא יתקן את הדלת וישים עליה שכבה חדשה של צבע. אני אוהב דווקא את הארון הזה, עם הכתמים והקצוות הבלויים.бе-мартеф шель савта омед арон йашан меод. ха-эц мехуспас, ве-ха-цэва дахуи ме-ха-шемеш ве-ло маврик. ахат ха-делет акума, ве-аль ха-мадаф ха-тахтон ктам шель цэва. ле-мрот зэт ха-арон шалем ве-одайн шамиш, рак ха-мафтеах халуд. саба омер ше-ху ятакен эт ха-делет ве-ясим алея шхава хадаша шель цэва. ани охев давка эт ха-арон хазе, им ха-ктамим ве-ха-кцавот ха-балуим.In grandma's basement stands a very old wardrobe. The wood is rough, and the paint has faded in the sun and does not shine. One of the doors is crooked, and on the bottom shelf there is a paint stain. In spite of this, the wardrobe is whole and still good, only the key is rusty. Grandpa says he will fix the door and put a new layer of paint on it. And I like this very wardrobe — with stains and worn edges.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Where does the wardrobe stand?
- What is the paint on the wardrobe like?
- What about the key?
- What will grandpa do?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Hebrew?
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.