Borscht on Sunday
A short in Ukrainian 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. On Sunday Mom makes borscht. First she peels the vegetables: potatoes, carrots, onion, cabbage. She grates the beet…
Text
- У неділю мама варить борщ. Спершу чистить овочі: картоплю, моркву, цибулю, капусту. Буряк тре на тертці окремо. Коли все кипить, вона солить і додає трохи оцту, щоб колір лишився червоним. Часник кидає в самому кінці. Борщ стоїть годину, і тільки тоді його подають.On Sunday Mom makes borscht. First she peels the vegetables: potatoes, carrots, onion, cabbage. She grates the beet separately. When everything boils she salts it and adds a bit of vinegar so the color stays red. She throws in the garlic at the very end. The borscht rests for an hour, and only then is it served.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- When does Mom make borscht?
- What does she grate separately?
- Why add vinegar?
- When is the garlic added?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Ukrainian?
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.