மளிகைக் கடையில
A short in Tamil 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. Today I went to the grocery store. I took a basket and bought vegetables and milk. The mangoes were expensive, so I…
Text
- இன்னிக்கு நான் மளிகைக் கடைக்கு போனேன். ஒரு கூடை எடுத்து, காய்கறியும் பாலும் வாங்கினேன். மாங்காய் விலை அதிகம், அதனால அரை கிலோ மட்டும் எடுத்தேன். கவுண்டரில வரிசை நீளமா இருந்தது. என் வங்கி அட்டை வேலை செய்யலை, அதனால கேஷ் கொடுத்தேன். கடைக்காரர் ரசீதும் மீதி காசும் தந்தார்.iṉṉikku nāṉ maḷigaik kaḍaikku pōṉēṉ. oru kūḍai eḍuttu, kāykaṟiyum pālum vāṅgiṉēṉ. māṅkāy vilai adigam, adaṉāla arai kilō maṭṭum eḍuttēṉ. kavuṇḍarila varisai nīḷamā irundadu. eṉ vaṅgi aṭṭai vēlai seyyalai, adaṉāla kēṣ koḍuttēṉ. kaḍaikkārar rasīdum mīdi kāsum tandār.Today I went to the grocery store. I took a basket and bought vegetables and milk. The mangoes were expensive, so I took only half a kilo. There was a long queue at the till. My bank card did not work, so I paid in cash. The seller gave me a receipt and the change.
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 he go today?
- Why did he take only half a kilo of mangoes?
- How did he pay?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Tamil?
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.