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French stories with audio, A1 to C1

Short illustrated French stories you can read and listen to for free — every passage complete, with an English summary, key vocabulary and the full recorded narration. No streaks, no ads, and no account required to begin.

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Le chat de la boulangerieA1 · full sample

French reading by level

Short illustrated stories, with English summaries and focused vocabulary.

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More stories in the app — the full library with audio, free to start

A1 Léa’s Postcard Léa est en vacances à Nice avec sa mère. Léa writes a postcard from Nice and sends it to her friend Sami. Read this story in the free app

A1 The Sunday Picnic Dimanche, Hugo prépare un petit pique-nique avec sa sœur Nora. Hugo and Nora have a simple picnic in the park and enjoy a quiet Sunday. Read this story in the free app

A1 The First Ice Cream C’est samedi après-midi et le soleil est chaud. Léa and Tom buy ice cream in the park and Léa helps a child who drops his cone. Read this story in the free app

A2 The Yellow Umbrella Il pleut beaucoup ce matin. Emma shares her yellow umbrella with an elderly woman on a rainy day. Read this story in the free app

A2 The Robot That Was Hungry Dans la classe de sciences, les élèves ont construit un petit robot nommé Bibi. A classroom robot accidentally grabs Noé’s homework, but the problem is only a stuck cable. Read this story in the free app

A2 Tuesday Soup Mardi soir, Sami veut préparer une soupe pour sa sœur, qui rentre tard. Sami turns a few ingredients and neighborly help into dinner for his sister. Read this story in the free app

A2 The Locker Key Léo entre dans le collège avec son sac à dos. Léo mistakes Emma’s lost key for his own before she helps him find his key at the bottom of his bag. Read this story in the free app

A2 The Parcel for the Third Floor Samedi matin, un livreur sonne chez Thomas, au deuxième étage. Thomas receives a parcel meant for Madame Ortiz and takes it upstairs. Read this story in the free app

B1 The Forgotten Recipe Dans le café de sa tante, Clara trouve un carnet couvert de farine derrière une étagère. Clara tries to revive a family cake recipe and discovers that memory can become something new. Read this story in the free app

B1 The Train of Delays Le train de 18 h 12 quitte rarement la gare à l'heure, et tout le monde le sait. A delayed train turns strangers into a small community before the service improves. Read this story in the free app

B1 Wednesday Cinema Chaque mercredi après-midi, le vieux cinéma du quartier ouvre ses portes pour une séance… A neighborhood cinema uses weekly screenings to foster community and support those in need. Read this story in the free app

B1 The Concert in the Rain Le concert en plein air devait commencer à vingt heures pile, sur la place derrière la… Rain interrupts an outdoor concert, but some listeners stay and the musicians keep playing. Read this story in the free app

B2 The Trial of the Cheese Dans le village de Mont-Ravin, tout le monde connaissait le fromage de M. A village turns a smelly cheese problem into a comic public trial and accidentally creates a local attraction. Read this story in the free app

B2 The Town Without Lights À Saint-Martin-sur-Loire, le conseil municipal a décidé d’éteindre l’éclairage public… A town tests reduced night lighting and discovers that careful darkness can save energy and reveal forgotten life. Read this story in the free app

B2 The Bench by the Sea Chaque matin, à l’aube, le vieux Marcel s’assied sur le banc de bois usé face à la mer. An elderly man and a young woman form an unexpected bond on a seaside bench, connecting past and present. Read this story in the free app

B2 The Last Newsstand Quand le kiosque du boulevard a annoncé sa fermeture, le quartier a réagi comme on… A neighborhood newsstand closes, and the boulevard loses a place for small daily exchanges. Read this story in the free app

B2 The Map of Invisible Paths Dans le vieux quartier de Saint-Germain, une carte ancienne était accrochée au mur de la… A young historian rediscovers the forgotten paths of a historic neighborhood, revealing their deep connection to its collective memory. Read this story in the free app

C1 The Committee of Lost Minutes Dans l'entreprise, chaque réunion commence avec sept minutes de retard, jamais assez… Amira shows that small delays reveal workplace problems that formal agendas ignore. Read this story in the free app

C1 The Silence of the Waiting Room Dans la salle d’attente, personne ne parle vraiment, mais tout le monde communique. A narrator observes how strangers silently share tension in a waiting room. Read this story in the free app

C1 Blue Hour on the Bridge L’heure bleue n’appartient à personne, et c’est pour cela qu’on s’y retrouve sans se… At blue hour on a bridge, a shared pause may be a truce or only a private silence. Read this story in the free app

Grammar lessons

Curated lessons from A1 to C1, each with examples and answer reveals.

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Vocabulary by level

Reviewed words with translations in six languages and example sentences.

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French verb conjugator

Look up reviewed high-frequency verbs in four useful tenses, then practise every form in the app.

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