The Saturday bazaar
A short in Kazakh 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. On Saturday I go to the bazaar early, because in the morning everything is fresh. My seller always sets the scales…
Text
- Сенбіде мен базарға ерте барамын, себебі таңертең бәрі балғын. Менің сатушым таразыны әрқашан дұрыс қояды және жеңілдік те береді. Бүгін бір келі піскен алма мен жарты келі ірімшік алдым. Барлығы екі мың теңге болды, қолма-қол ақшамен төледім. Дүкенде бұл қымбатырақ, сондықтан мен базарды таңдаймын.On Saturday I go to the bazaar early, because in the morning everything is fresh. My seller always sets the scales correctly and even gives a discount. Today I bought a kilogram of ripe apples and half a kilo of cheese. It all came to two thousand tenge, and I paid in cash. At the shop it is more expensive, so I choose the bazaar.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Why does the narrator go to the bazaar early?
- What did he buy?
- How did he pay?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Kazakh?
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.