EkGuruMaterialsReading › First Reading Practice — Short Paragraphs

First Reading Practice — Short Paragraphs

A free EkGuru material · updated 2026-09-12

High beginner
What this is for

The gap between sounding out single words and reading a paragraph is where learners stall. These five paragraphs are deliberately short and graded, so you cross that gap in one sitting.

What you will learn

Quick reference

ParagraphTopicLength
1Myself4 short sentences
2My family4 short sentences
3The market5 short sentences
4A day5 short sentences
5Food5 short sentences

Paragraph 1 — about me

मेरा नाम अमित है। मैं हिन्दी सीख रहा हूँ। मैं जयपुर में रहता हूँ। मुझे किताबें पसंद हैं।

merā nām Amit hai. main hindī sīkh rahā hū̃. main Jaipur meṃ rahtā hū̃. mujhe kitābeṃ pasand haiṃ. — My name is Amit. I am learning Hindi. I live in Jaipur. I like books.

Paragraph 2 — my family

मेरे परिवार में चार लोग हैं। मेरे पिता डॉक्टर हैं। मेरी माँ शिक्षिका हैं। मेरी एक बहन है।

mere parivār meṃ chār log haiṃ. mere pitā ḍākṭar haiṃ. merī mā̃ shikshikā haiṃ. merī ek bahan hai. — There are four people in my family. My father is a doctor. My mother is a teacher. I have one sister.

Paragraph 3 — the market

आज मैं बाज़ार गया। मैंने फल और सब्ज़ियाँ खरीदीं। फल सस्ते थे। बाज़ार में बहुत भीड़ थी। मैं खुश था।

āj main bāzār gayā. maine phal aur sabziyā̃ kharīdī̃. phal saste the. bāzār meṃ bahut bhīṛ thī. main khush thā. — Today I went to the market. I bought fruit and vegetables. The fruit was cheap. There was a big crowd in the market. I was happy.

Paragraph 4 — a day

मैं सुबह छह बजे उठता हूँ। मैं चाय पीता हूँ। फिर मैं ऑफ़िस जाता हूँ। शाम को मैं घर आता हूँ। रात को मैं जल्दी सोता हूँ।

main subah chhah baje uṭhtā hū̃. main chāy pītā hū̃. phir main ḍāfis jātā hū̃. shām ko main ghar ātā hū̃. rāt ko main jaldī sotā hū̃. — I get up at six in the morning. I drink tea. Then I go to the office. In the evening I come home. At night I sleep early.

Paragraph 5 — food

मुझे रोटी और दाल पसंद है। दाल गरम है। रोटी ताज़ी है। मुझे चाय भी पसंद है। मीठा मुझे ज़्यादा पसंद नहीं है।

mujhe roṭī aur dāl pasand hai. dāl garam hai. roṭī tāzī hai. mujhe chāy bhī pasand hai. mīṭhā mujhe zyādā pasand nahī̃ hai. — I like roti and dal. The dal is hot. The roti is fresh. I also like tea. I do not like sweets too much.

Common mistakes

WrongRightWhy
Translating word by wordRead for meaning, guess, then checkGuessing from context is the skill these paragraphs build — resist checking every word.
Reading silently onlyRead aloud, slowlyReading aloud links the letters to the sounds and doubles the practice.
Expecting to be fastSlow and correct beats fast and wrongSpeed comes later; accuracy is the goal now.

Practice

  1. Read each paragraph aloud, then cover the Romanisation and read the Devanagari alone.
  2. Answer the three questions per paragraph without looking back, then check.
  3. Re-read paragraph 1 in a week and notice how much easier it feels.

Mini quiz

1. What does मैं जयपुर में रहता हूँ mean?

I live in Jaipur — रहता हूँ is 'I live/stay'.

2. In paragraph 3, what did the narrator buy?

Fruit and vegetables — फल और सब्ज़ियाँ (phal aur sabziyā̃).

3. Does the narrator like sweets too much?

No — मीठा मुझे ज़्यादा पसंद नहीं है: 'I do not like sweets too much'.

Related tools

Reading labRead Devanagari sentences and pick the meaning.

Related lessons

The Hindi Alphabet — full guideRefresh the letters before reading.

Related material

Devanagari chartKeep the chart open while you read.

Keep going

A chart helps only once you use it. Drill these same points in the practice labs, follow a learning path to keep the order right, or practise one to one with a native-speaking tutor.

See the tutors Practise this Learning paths

Next: Writing practice — form the letters yourself