The wardrobe in the basement
A short text in Urdu 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. In the basement stands one old wardrobe. The wood is rough, and the paint has faded in the sun. One door is crooked…
Text
- تہہ خانے میں ایک پرانی الماری کھڑی ہے۔ لکڑی کھردری ہے اور رنگ دھوپ میں مدھم ہو گیا ہے۔ ایک دروازہ ٹیڑھا ہے اور نیچے پرانی سطح پر داغ ہے۔ اس کے باوجود الماری سالامت ہے اور قابل استعمال بھی۔ چابی زنگ لگا ہے، دادا نے کہا کہ وہ اسے صاف کرے گا۔ مجھے یہی الماری پسند ہے، گھسا ہوا بھی۔teh khane main ek purani almari khari hai. lakkri khardi hai aur rang dhup main madham ho gaya hai. ek darwaza terha hai aur nichhe purani satah per dagh hai. is ke bawdzhud almari salamat hai aur qabile istemal bhi. chabi zang laga hai, dada ne kha ke wo use saf kare ga. mujhe yehi almari pasand hai, ghisa hua bhi.In the basement stands one old wardrobe. The wood is rough, and the paint has faded in the sun. One door is crooked, and on the old surface below there is a stain. Despite this, the wardrobe is intact and usable too. The key has gone rusty; grandfather said he would clean it. And I like precisely this wardrobe, even worn.
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 wood like to the touch?
- What happened to the paint?
- What is the key like?
- What does the narrator like?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Urdu?
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.