எங்க வீடும் முற்றமும்
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. Our house is small, but the yard is wide. Outside there is a fence and a gate. Next to the gate stands a mailbox, but…
Text
- எங்க வீடு பெரிசு இல்லை, ஆனா முற்றம் அகலம். வெளியில ஒரு வேலியும் ஒரு கேட்டும் இருக்கு. கேட் பக்கத்தில ஒரு தபால் பெட்டி இருக்கு, ஆனா இப்ப கடிதம் ரொம்ப குறைவு. உள்ள மூணு அறை: ஒரு படுக்கை அறை, ஒரு சமையலறை, ஒரு சின்ன குளியலறை. கூரை பழசு, மழைக்காலத்தில கொஞ்சம் ஒழுகுது. அப்பா சொன்னார், அடுத்த மாசம் சரி பண்ணுவோம்னு. காலையில நான் முற்றம் பெருக்குறேன், அம்மா தோட்டத்தில தண்ணி ஊத்துறாங்க.eṅga vīḍu perisu illai, āṉā muṟṟam agalam. veḷiyila oru vēliyum oru kēṭṭum irukku. kēṭ pakkattila oru tabāl peṭṭi irukku, āṉā ippa kaḍidam romba kuṟaivu. uḷḷa mūṇu aṟai: oru paḍukkai aṟai, oru samaiyalaṟai, oru siṉṉa kuḷiyalaṟai. kūrai paḻasu, maḻaikkālattila koñcam oḻugudu. appā soṉṉār, aḍutta māsam sari paṇṇuvōmṉu. kālaiyila nāṉ muṟṟam perukkuṟēṉ, ammā tōṭṭattila taṇṇi ūttuṟāṅga.Our house is small, but the yard is wide. Outside there is a fence and a gate. Next to the gate stands a mailbox, but few letters come now. Inside there are three rooms: a bedroom, a kitchen and a small bathroom. The roof is old; in the rainy season it leaks a little. Father said we would repair it next month. In the mornings I sweep the yard, and mother waters the garden.
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 is their yard like?
- What is wrong with the house?
- How many rooms are inside?
- What does he do in the mornings?
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.