My neighbor
A short in Georgian text 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. An elderly man named Vakhtang lives in our building. He is of medium height, with gray hair and deep wrinkles on his…
Text
- ჩვენს სადარბაზოში ერთი ხანდაზმული კაცი ცხოვრობს, სახელად ვახტანგი. ის საშუალო ტანისაა, ჭაღარა თმით და ღრმა ნაოჭებით შუბლზე. ხასიათით მოკრძალებული და ძალიან ზრდილობიანია: ყოველთვის პირველი გესალმება. მეზობლები ამბობენ, რომ გულუხვია — ხელსაწყოებს უყოყმანოდ ასესხებს. ერთხელ ჩემი სავარცხელი და მაკრატელი დავკარგე, მან კი თავისი მომიტანა. ჭორები მას არ უყვარს და სხვის ლანძღვას ყოველთვის დუმილს ამჯობინებს.chvens sadarbazoshi erti khandazmuli katsi tskhovrobs, sakhelad vakhtangi. is sashualo tanisaa, chaghara tmit da ghrma naochebit shublze. khasiatit mokrdzalebuli da dzalian zrdilobiania: qoveltvis pirveli gesalmeba. mezoblebi amboben, rom gulukhvia — khelsatsqoebs uqoqmanod aseskhebs. ertkhel chemi savartskheli da makrateli davkarge, man ki tavisi momitana. chorebi mas ar uqvars da skhvis landzghvas qoveltvis dumils amjobinebs.An elderly man named Vakhtang lives in our building. He is of medium height, with gray hair and deep wrinkles on his forehead. By character he is modest and very well-mannered: he always greets first. The neighbors say he is generous — he lends tools without hesitation. Once I lost my comb and scissors, and he brought me his. He doesn't like gossip, and he always prefers silence to scolding others.
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 does the neighbor look like?
- What is his character like?
- What do the neighbors say about him?
- How does he feel about gossip?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Georgian?
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.