The old friend
A text in Urdu 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 have a friend; her name is Farah. We live on one street. Yesterday our meeting took place. I miss Farah very much.…
Text
- میری ایک صہیلی ہے، نام فرح ہے۔ ہم ایک گلی میں رہتے ہیں۔ کل ہماری ملاقات ہوئی۔ مجھے فرح کی بہت یاد آتی ہے۔ اب وہ کراچی میں ہے، مجھے تنہائی ہوتی ہے۔ اچھا، کل پھر ملاقات ہے۔meri ek saheli hai, nam Farah hai. hum ek gali main rehte hain. kal humari mulaqat hui. mujhe Farah ki behot yad ati hai. ab wo Karachi main hai, mujhe tanhaii hoti hai. achchha, kal phir mulaqat hai.I have a friend; her name is Farah. We live on one street. Yesterday our meeting took place. I miss Farah very much. Now she is in Karachi, and loneliness comes over me. Well — tomorrow there is a meeting again.
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 friend’s name?
- Where do they live?
- When was the meeting?
- What does the narrator feel?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Urdu?
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.