Study notes for lesson 4 reading: a short Persian text about Sara's new apartment using ast and nist, with translation, key words and a quiz.
Reading: Sara's new apartment
Study notes for this lesson. This original text describes Sara's apartment in standard written Persian. It is the written version of the visit in the speaking dialogue, so you can compare how the same ideas look in writing. Watch for است and نیست: together they appear in almost every sentence.
Reading text
| Persian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| این آپارتمان جدید ساراست. | /in âpârtemân-e jadid-e sârâst./ | This is Sara's new apartment. |
| آپارتمان کوچک است، اما خیلی قشنگ است. | /âpârtemân kuchek ast, ammâ kheyli ghashang ast./ | The apartment is small, but it is very nice. |
| ساختمان قدیمی است، اما آپارتمان تمیز است. | /sâkhtemân ghadimi ast, ammâ âpârtemân tamiz ast./ | The building is old, but the apartment is clean. |
| اتاق سارا گرم و روشن است. | /otâgh-e sârâ garm va roshan ast./ | Sara's room is warm and bright. |
| آشپزخانه بزرگ نیست. | /âshpazkhâne bozorg nist./ | The kitchen is not big. |
| آپارتمان گران نیست. ارزان هم نیست. | /âpârtemân gerân nist. arzân ham nist./ | The apartment is not expensive. It isn't cheap either. |
| آپارتمان به دانشگاه نزدیک است. | /âpârtemân be dâneshgâh nazdik ast./ | The apartment is close to the university. |
| رضا دوست ساراست. | /rezâ dust-e sârâst./ | Reza is Sara's friend. |
| امروز رضا اینجاست. | /emruz rezâ injâst./ | Today Reza is here. |
| او خسته نیست، اما گرسنه است. | /u khaste nist, ammâ gorosne ast./ | He is not tired, but he is hungry. |
| رضا می‌گوید: «آپارتمان تو خیلی قشنگ است.» | /rezâ miguyad: "âpârtemân-e to kheyli ghashang ast."/ | Reza says, "Your apartment is very nice." |
Key words
- ساختمان (sâkhtemân): building
- روشن (roshan): bright, light
- اما (ammâ): but; in speech often ولی (vali)
- هم (ham): also; with a negative, "either"
- به … نزدیک (be … nazdik): close to
- ساراست (sârâst): is Sara's, سارا + است
- اینجاست (injâst): is here
Notes on the text
Sentence 1 has two ezâfe links in a row: آپارتمان جدید سارا is âpârtemân-e jadid-e sârâ, "the new apartment of Sara". Each -e joins one word to the next. In sentence 6, هم after a negative works like English "either": ارزان هم نیست, "it isn't cheap either".
Compare the text with the speaking dialogue of this lesson. In writing Sara's apartment is کوچک است; in speech Sara says کوچیکه. Reading both helps you recognize the two styles.
Write your own version
Write six to eight sentences about your own home in the same style. Use at least three opposite pairs from the word list and at least two negative sentences with نیست. Finish with a sentence about where your home is: خانه‌ی من به … نزدیک است. Read your text aloud, then rewrite two sentences in the spoken style of the dialogue.
Other pages in this lesson
- Lesson 4: New words (describing places)
- Lesson 4: Grammar, negative and questions with to be
- Lesson 4: Speaking
- Lesson 5: New words (family)
Practice
-
Is the building new?
Show answer
No, it is old. ساختمان قدیمی است.
-
Describe Sara's room.
Show answer
It is warm and bright. گرم و روشن است.
-
Is the kitchen big?
Show answer
No, it is not big. آشپزخانه بزرگ نیست.
-
Is the apartment cheap?
Show answer
It is neither expensive nor cheap. گران نیست. ارزان هم نیست.
-
How is Reza today?
Show answer
He is not tired, but he is hungry. خسته نیست، اما گرسنه است.
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