A haircut at the barber
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. On Wednesday I went to the barbershop because the hair was too long. The barbershop is close to the house, so I walked.…
Text
- ביום רביעי הלכתי למספרת, כי השיער ארוך מדי. המספרת קרובה לבית, אז הלכתי ברגל. כמה זמן זה ייקח? — חצי שעה, ענתה. רציתי תספורת קצרה, וזה מה שקיבלתי. שילמתי בכרטיס, והתספורת יפה.ба-йом ревии халахти ле-маспэрэт, ки ха-сэар арох мидаи. ха-маспэрэт крова ла-байит, аз халахти бе-регель. кама зман зэ йиках? — хеци шаа, ана. раици тиспорэт кцара, ве-зэ ма шэ-кибальти. шиламти бе-картис, ве-ха-тиспорэт яфа.On Wednesday I went to the barbershop because the hair was too long. The barbershop is close to the house, so I walked. How long will it take? — Half an hour, she answered. I wanted a short haircut, and that is what I got. I paid by card, and the haircut is beautiful.
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 did he get to the barbershop?
- How long did the haircut take?
- What did he want?
- How did he pay?
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.