Learn German with short stories
Read 5 free graded stories in German, written for beginners at A1 to A2, right in your browser. Tap any word for its meaning in context, listen while you read, and save the words you want to keep. No sign-up, no install, works on any phone.
Stories in German
How it works
German nouns come with a gender you mostly absorb rather than memorize. In these stories, tapping any noun shows its article instantly, so you meet der Markt, die Nachbarin and das Buch enough times that the right article starts to sound obvious. It is a small thing that makes reading German as a beginner far less frustrating.
Common questions
What level of German are these stories?
They are graded for beginners at CEFR A1 to A2: short sentences, everyday vocabulary, and scenes like a market morning, a new neighbor and a visit to the library. If you can read simple German sentences, you can follow them.
Is the German reader really free?
Yes. The browser reader is completely free, with no account, no sign-up and no trial timer. It is a free taste of the full oqou app for iPhone and iPad.
How do I learn der, die and das with these stories?
Tap any noun and its article appears together with the meaning. Seeing articles next to real nouns in real sentences, over and over, is how German genders start to stick.
Can I listen to the stories in German?
Yes, every story can be read aloud with follow-along highlighting. The voices come from your browser and device, so how natural they sound varies from device to device.
Is this the full oqou app?
This is the free web reader with oqou's German starter stories. The iOS app adds your own books, articles and PDFs, in-context word explanations, and spaced review for the words you save.
Read your own books this way, in the oqou app for iPhone and iPad.