LingoflyCounting everything
A text in Ukrainian at level B1. The translation sits next to it for checking, not for support: at this level the text is read whole, and an unknown word is usually guessed from the sentence. Father taught me to count. Not money — everything: how many steps to the store, how many days until the holiday, what…
Text
- Батько привчив мене рахувати. Не гроші — все: скільки кроків до крамниці, скільки днів до свята, яка частка дня пішла на дорогу. Спершу це здавалося дивним, потім стало звичкою. Тепер я на око знаю, скільки треба фарби на стіну і чи вистачить грошей до кінця місяця. Помиляюся рідко.Batko pryvchyv mene rakhuvaty. Ne hroshi — vse: skilky krokiv do kramnytsi, skilky dniv do sviata, yaka chastka dnia pishla na dorohu. Spershu tse zdavalosia dyvnym, potim stalo zvychkoiu. Teper ya na oko znaiu, skilky treba farby na stinu i chy vystachyt hroshei do kintsia misiatsia. Pomyliaiusia ridko.Father taught me to count. Not money — everything: how many steps to the store, how many days until the holiday, what share of the day went into the commute. At first it seemed strange, then it became a habit. Now I know at a glance how much paint a wall needs and whether the money will last to the end of the month. I am rarely wrong.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Who taught the narrator to count?
- What did he count?
- What did it become over time?
- Is he often wrong?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Ukrainian?
B1. That means: everyday topics are behind you, you know about three thousand words, and an unknown word is more often guessed from the sentence than looked up.
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.