Learn German by reading
Authentic German texts leveled A1 to C1 — with paragraph-by-paragraph English translations. Written by a native speaker in Germany. Read at your level, every day.
Every level includes free texts — no account required.
Short everyday scenes. Simple vocabulary, present tense.
Familiar topics and routines. Growing sentence variety.
Opinions, experiences, events. Real-world German.
Current affairs and culture. Nuanced, natural language.
Complex ideas and subtle expression. Near-native reading.
No account needed. Just pick a text and start reading.
Peter – Teacher in Berlin
Peter grew up in Zürich but has lived in Berlin for three years. Read about his family, work, and daily life.
Julia and Peter went to Mallorca
Julia and Peter spend a week on the island — sun, beach, the Ballermann, and a rainy Sunday.
Anna's Arrival at the Hotel
Anna checks into Hotel Zentral and asks the receptionist everything she needs to know — breakfast, Wi-Fi, and check-out time.
Anna invites Ben to her birthday party
Anna calls her friend Ben to invite him to her birthday party. A natural everyday dialogue.
Arrival in Berlin
Anna arrives in Berlin for the first time — tired from the journey but excited for what lies ahead. She finds her apartment, navigates her first supermarket visit, and ends her first day with a quiet bowl of pasta and a sense of possibility.
The Flat Hunt — Chapter 1: The Search Begins
David moves from Dublin to Cologne for a new job — and quickly realizes that flat-hunting in Germany has its own rules. What is a Schufa? And how do you write a message landlords actually read?
Germans and Their Clubs
Germany has around 600,000 clubs — and nearly every second German is a member. What's behind this club culture, and why are clubs a real insider tip for newcomers?
The Shared-Flat Notice — Chapter 1: The Note on the Fridge
Passive-aggressive notes about dirty dishes are pushing a Leipzig shared flat toward a real conflict — and maybe a real conversation.
The Future of Reading: Are Printed Books Being Killed Off by E-Books and Audiobooks?
Thousands of books on a single device, stories in your ears while you cook — but will the printed book survive?
Cashless and Happy? Why Germans Are Attached to Notes and Coins
A commentary on Germany's enduring love of cash — exploring the historical, cultural, and privacy-driven reasons why banknotes still reign supreme in one of Europe's most modern economies.
Du or Sie? A Country Grapples with How to Address Each Other
A commentary on Germany's ongoing struggle between du and Sie — and why switching between the two might be the real skill.
More Than Just Profit? (Part 1): Regulation and the DACH Model
Part 1 of a two-part report: how Corporate Social Responsibility became a legal duty in the DACH region — and what sets German business culture apart.
Twilight of the Experts: On the Waning Trust in Science
Never has scientific knowledge been so available — and never has trust in research been so contested.
On the Luxury of Boredom
An essay on the disappearance of boredom in the smartphone age — and why we might be worse off without it.
Written by a native speaker living in Germany — not translated from English, not simplified to the point of being artificial.
Each paragraph has its own English translation you can reveal or hide. Read in German first, then check — as much or as little as you need.
You can read free texts at A1 all the way to C1. Premium unlocks more texts and audio. No level is locked behind a paywall.
Premium access unlocks all texts at every level — starting from €4.92/month.
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