About my grandfather
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. My grandfather was a man of medium height, gray-haired, with a deep wrinkle on his forehead. He was a very generous and…
Text
- Атам орта бойлы, ақ шашты кісі еді, маңдайында терең әжім болатын. Ол өте жомарт және шыдамды адам, ешқашан бізге айқайламады. Кейде қыңыр да болатын: бір шешім қабылдаса, ешкімнің сөзіне көнбейтін. Ауылда бәрі оны құрметтеді, себебі ол өтірік айтпайтын және өсек-аяңды жек көретін. Мен де сондай байыпты болғым келеді, бірақ әзірге ұмытшақ күйде жүрмін.My grandfather was a man of medium height, gray-haired, with a deep wrinkle on his forehead. He was a very generous and patient man, and he never shouted at us. Sometimes he was stubborn too: once he made a decision, he yielded to no one's arguments. In the village everyone respected him, because he did not lie and hated gossip. I would like to be just as serious, but for now I am still absent-minded.
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 did the grandfather look like?
- Which trait is named a difficult one?
- Why was the grandfather respected in the village?
- How does the narrator consider himself now?
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.