Learn French by reading

The easiest way into French reading is a story written for your level. Contos has 45 French series from A1 (beginner) to B2 (upper intermediate), in France French, set in Paris, Lyon, Brittany, Provence, Burgundy and the Alps. Every word can be tapped for a translation, and chapters 1 and 2 of every series are free.

French stories by level

Browse every French series

French guides

French phrases

French vocabulary

How do you start reading French as a beginner?

Start at A1, even if school French doesn't feel that long ago. A1 chapters are a few short paragraphs of present-tense sentences, and the first lines tell you who, where and what someone does. This is how one of the beginner romances opens:

Sophie est architecte à Lyon. Elle travaille beaucoup. Elle aime son métier.

Sophie is an architect in Lyon. She works a lot. She loves her job.

From Engaged by Mistake (Fiançailles par Erreur), chapter 1 (A1)

Notice what is missing: French says elle est architecte, with no word for "an" before a job. Small differences like this are easier to absorb from a story than from a rule, because you meet them again and again.

Read chapter 1 once for the plot. Tap only when a word stops you following what happens.
Expect the vowels to vanish. French drops a vowel before another one, so l'immeuble is le + immeuble and j'ai is je + ai. Read past the apostrophe.
Open chapter 2 the next day. The same people, places and objects come back, so the second chapter goes faster.
Review what you tapped. Contos keeps every word you tap and turns them into flashcards.
Move up when your vocabulary does. Contos moves you to A2 at 500 known words, B1 at 1,500 and B2 at 4,000.

What kind of French do the stories use?

France French. The stories are written for learners in Paris, Lyon and the French regions, so the everyday life in them is French life. These words come straight from the chapters:

Words from chapters 1–2 of Contos French series.
In the stories	English	Where you meet it
la concierge, la loge	the caretaker of an apartment building, and her ground-floor lodge	L'Immeuble du 14, Le Chat de la Rue Mouffetard
la boulangerie	the bakery	Les Lettres de Montmartre, Les Secrets de Mamie Odette
le RER	the Paris suburban train network	Quai 6
la mairie	the town hall	Le Gardien de la Pointe du Raz
la gendarmerie	the police station of the gendarmes, who police rural France	La Pharmacienne de l'Île
le tabac	the newsagent's that sells tobacco and stamps	Les Yeux de la Rue Lamartine

The dialogue also shows you how French people address each other. Strangers say vous: when Théo from the café downstairs first meets Camille, the new tenant, he asks Vous venez d'où ? (Where are you from?). Friends and family say tu. In a French story, the moment two characters move from vous to tu is worth noticing, because it usually means something has changed between them.

Learnt Canadian or Belgian French? You will follow the stories without trouble; the differences you notice will be a handful of everyday words.

Frequently asked questions

Can I read French stories for free?

Yes. Chapters 1 and 2 of every French series are free, on Contos Learn and in the app, in your browser or on iPhone and iPad. Contos Premium unlocks the remaining chapters and a new series every week.

Do I need to know French grammar before I start?

No. A1 chapters use short present-tense sentences, so je, tu, il and elle plus the present of être and avoir are enough to begin. The Engaged by Mistake page shows how ne…pas works in its first chapter.

Is Contos French from France or Canada?

From France. The series are set in Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, Burgundy, Provence, Brittany and the Alps, with concierges, boulangeries and gendarmes. Learners of Canadian French can follow them easily.

Which French story should I read first?

Try Engaged by Mistake, a romantic comedy set in Lyon, or browse the A1 French stories for a mystery or a comedy. The full French library runs from A1 to B2.