LingoflyRead the contract carefully
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. I signed the contract without reading it — and then spent a month sorting it out. It turned out the delivery time was…
Text
- Договір я підписав не читаючи — і потім місяць розбирався. Виявилося, що термін доставки прописано як «до сорока днів», а не «за тиждень», як казали усно. Письмова умова важить більше за обіцянку. Розірвати договір я не міг, але зміг отримати знижку. Тепер читаю кожен пункт.Dohovir ya pidpysav ne chytaiuchy — i potim misiats rozbyravsia. Vyiavylosia, shcho termin dostavky propysano yak «do soroka dniv», a ne «za tyzhden», yak kazaly usno. Pysmova umova vazhyt bilshe za obitsianku. Rozirvaty dohovir ya ne mih, ale zmih otrymaty znyzhku. Teper chytaiu kozhen punkt.I signed the contract without reading it — and then spent a month sorting it out. It turned out the delivery time was written as up to forty days, not within a week, as they had said aloud. A written term outweighs a promise. I could not terminate the contract, but I did get a discount. Now I read every clause.
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 did the narrator do with the contract?
- What term was written?
- What turned out to matter more?
- How did it all end?
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.