The message that didn't arrive
A short in Serbian 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. We agreed to meet in front of the cinema at seven. I sent a message saying I'd be a little late, but it didn't go…
Text
- Договорили смо се да се нађемо испред биоскопа у седам. Послао сам поруку да ћу мало каснити, али она није стигла: у метроу нема сигнала. Батерија ми је била празна, а пуњач сам оставио на послу. Кад сам изашао на улицу, видео сам пет пропуштених позива и три гласовне поруке. Сада увек носим мали пуњач у ранцу и зовем унапред, а не пишем.Dogovorili smo se da se nađemo ispred bioskopa u sedam. Poslao sam poruku da ću malo kasniti, ali ona nije stigla: u metrou nema signala. Baterija mi je bila prazna, a punjač sam ostavio na poslu. Kad sam izašao na ulicu, video sam pet propuštenih poziva i tri glasovne poruke. Sada uvek nosim mali punjač u rancu i zovem unapred, a ne pišem.We agreed to meet in front of the cinema at seven. I sent a message saying I'd be a little late, but it didn't go through: there's no signal in the metro. My battery was dead, and I had left my charger at work. When I came out to the street, I saw five missed calls and three voice messages. Now I always carry a small charger in my backpack and call ahead instead of writing.
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 did they agree to meet?
- Why didn't the message arrive?
- What did the narrator see when he came out to the street?
- What does he do now?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Serbian?
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.