At the tailor’s
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. At the tailor’s a new shirt is ready. The tailor has buttoned all the buttons. I unbutton one button and look at the…
Text
- نئی قمیض درزی کے پاس تیار ہو گئی ہے۔ درزی نے سب بٹن لگا دیے ہیں۔ میں ایک بٹن کھولتا ہوں اور جیب دیکھتا ہوں۔ یہ گرہ اچھی ہے، دھاگہ اندر ہے۔ میں قمیض پہن کر آئینے میں دیکھتا ہوں اور درزی کو شکریہ کہتا ہوں۔naiya qamiz darzi ke pas tayar ho gai hai. darzi ne sab batan laga die hain. main ek batan kholta hun aur dzhib dekhta hun. ye gera achchha hai, dhaga andar hai. main qamiz pehen kar aine main dekhta hun aur darzi ko shukriya kehta hun.At the tailor’s a new shirt is ready. The tailor has buttoned all the buttons. I unbutton one button and look at the pocket. This seam is good, the thread inside. I put on the shirt, look in the mirror and thank the tailor.
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 ready at the tailor’s?
- What did the tailor do with the buttons?
- What does the man look at on the shirt?
- What does he do before the mirror?
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.