🇬🇷 Greek
Greek graded readers: what to read at each level
Greek has fewer graded readers than the major Western European languages, though some publishers in Greece produce adapted texts for learners. The alphabet is a short hurdle; the bigger challenges are verb aspect and vocabulary.
ReadNative's Greek book is Aesop's Fables, retold in Modern Greek as one continuous story from absolute beginner to B1 over 42 chapters. It is free, and you can read the first chapters free in your browser, tapping any word for its English meaning or any sentence for a translation.
Greek graded readers on ReadNative
What to read at each level
A1
The market, Xanthos's house and the first fables — the tortoise and the hare, the fox and the grapes — in short sentences.
A2
More fables and past tenses, as Aesop's life unfolds.
B1
The final chapters, ending at Delphi, reach B1.
B2
Contemporary Greek fiction, news and Kazantzakis for the ambitious.
Not sure where you are? Take the Greek vocabulary test or check a text with the difficulty checker.
Questions
What is a graded reader?
A book written or retold with controlled vocabulary and grammar for a specific level, so a learner can read a whole story in Greek with little dictionary use. The aim is lots of comfortable reading, not decoding.
Modern or Ancient Greek?
Modern Greek, the language spoken in Greece today.
How do I know if a book is the right level?
If you understand the story and need to look up only a few words per page, it is right. If every sentence needs help, drop down a level; if you never tap anything, move up. In Greek the step from graded books to native texts is steep, so do not rush it.