LingoflyWhile the nanny is late
A short text in Ukrainian 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. The nanny was late, and I stayed with the newborn alone. The stroller would not fit in the elevator, so we walked in…
Text
- Няня запізнювалася, і я лишився з новонародженим сам. Дитячий візок не влазив у ліфт, тому ми гуляли у дворі: гойдалка, лялька, годинник на руці показував, що минуло всього двадцять хвилин. Малюк виявився слухняний, а от виховання, як я зрозумів, починається не з правил, а з терпіння.Niania zapizniuvalasia, i ya lyshyvsia z novonarodzhenym sam. Dytiachyi vizok ne vlazyv u lift, tomu my hulialy u dvori: hoidalka, lialka, hodynnyk na rutsi pokazuvav, shcho mynulo vsoho dvadtsiat khvylyn. Maliuk vyiavyvsia slukhnianyi, a ot vykhovannia, yak ya zrozumiv, pochynaietsia ne z pravyl, a z terpinnia.The nanny was late, and I stayed with the newborn alone. The stroller would not fit in the elevator, so we walked in the yard: a swing, a doll, and the watch on my wrist showed that only twenty minutes had passed. The baby turned out obedient, and I understood that upbringing starts not with rules but with patience.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Why did they walk in the yard?
- How much time had passed?
- What was the baby like?
- What does upbringing start with?
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.