The neighbor downstairs
A short in Turkish 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 neighbor from the floor below is a man of medium height, gray-haired. His eyebrows are thick, there's a small mole…
Text
- Alt katta yaşayan komşumuz orta boylu, kır saçlı bir adam. Kaşları kalın, sol yanağında küçük bir ben var. Çok cömert biri: her bayram kapımıza tepsiyle tatlı bırakır. Biraz dalgın, bazen asansörde selam vermeyi unutur, ama kimse alınmaz. Yalan söylemez, dedikodu yapmaz; bu apartmanda en güvenilir insan o.Our neighbor from the floor below is a man of medium height, gray-haired. His eyebrows are thick, there's a small mole on his left cheek. He is a very generous person: on every holiday he leaves a tray of sweets at our door. A bit absent-minded, he sometimes forgets to say hello in the elevator, but no one takes offense. He doesn't lie and doesn't gossip; he's the most reliable person in the building.
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 the neighbor's height?
- What is on his left cheek?
- What does he do on every holiday?
- Why does no one take offense at him?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Turkish?
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.