El café de la esquina
Food & drink · B1 · 3 min read
NewHold any sentence to have it explained
Learn a language through stories you actually care about.
Short stories in 10 languages, written at your level about the things you're into. Tap any word to translate it. Hold any sentence to understand it.
10 languages · Levels A1–B2 · No signup to start
Select a word to see its translation. Press and hold a word, or open its context menu, to select the sentence and explain it.
Sentence selected
1Tap to translate2Hold to explain
Stop memorising sentences you'll never say.
Drills and flashcards get you started, but they don't teach you to read. Real comprehension comes from context: characters, places and things happening that you actually want to follow.
Volitude writes short stories around your interests, at a level you can follow, so every new word arrives with a reason to remember it.
- languages
- 10
- languages
- topics to choose from
- 20
- topics to choose from
- levels, matched to you
- A1–B2
- levels, matched to you
New in Volitude
Stuck on a sentence? Just hold it.
A translation tells you what a sentence says. Explain tells you why it says it that way, pitched at your level.
- 1
Press and hold
Hold any word for half a second and its whole sentence lights up. No copying, no pasting into another app.
Spanish · B1El café de la esquinaSi hubiera llegado cinco minutos antes, la habría encontrado libre.
- 2
Narrow it down
Only puzzled by part of it? Tap words to shrink the selection to the phrase you actually care about.
Spanish · B1El café de la esquinaSi hubiera llegado cinco minutos antes, la habría encontrado libre.
- 3
Get the why, not just the what
A plain-English breakdown of what it means, the grammar doing the work, and the small details textbooks skip.
Spanish · B1El café de la esquinaSi hubiera llegado cinco minutos antes, la habría encontrado libre.
Spanish · B1El café de la esquina
Si hubiera llegado cinco minutos antes, la habría encontrado libre.
Everything you need, right on the page.
No jumping between a dictionary, a translator and a grammar book. Stay in the story.
Me senté en un banco del parque.
bench
Abrí una cuenta en el banco.
bank
Translations that read the whole sentence
Tap a word and get its meaning in that exact sentence, not a dictionary's best guess.
Cada mañana, Lucía pasa por el pequeño café de la esquina.
Listen as you read
Natural audio, with each word lit up as it's spoken.
A quick quiz at the end
A few questions show you what actually stuck.
Words that stick
Save tricky words. Understand one four times on your own and it's learned.
Stories that keep going
Loved a story? Continue it as a three-part series.
Or write the story you want to read.
Describe a character, a place and what happens. Volitude writes it in your target language, at your level, with a quiz at the end. Be as specific, or as strange, as you like.
Create your first storyCustom stories need a free account.
Create your own story
PortugueseB1Short story + quiz
Describe a character, a place, and what happens.
A retired detective in Lisbon works out why the custard tarts keep vanishing from her local bakery
Create story
Three steps to your first story.
- 1
Pick a language and level
Not sure where you are? For most languages, a short placement quiz will work it out.
- 2
Choose what you’re into
Twenty topics, from travel and food to history and technology. Pick a few to start.
- 3
Read a little every day
A fresh daily story, a growing library, and recommendations that learn what you enjoy.
For when apps feel too easy and novels feel too hard.
Volitude isn't built for day one. It works best once you know some basics and want to start reading properly: the bridge between learning apps and real-world content.
A1A2B1B2C1C2
Language apps
Volitude
Native books, news & TV
From early readers
I'm currently learning German and use the Kindle for this use case but sense I would use this app more.
Even as a fluent French speaker, I learnt a few new words thanks to the forest story.
Pricing
Start free. Upgrade if you read a lot.
Read, translate, listen and explain for free with a daily allowance. Plus and Pro raise the limits, with a 7-day free trial and no lock-in. Compare plans
Free
$0Everything on this page, with a daily allowance.
- New stories every day, at your level
- Tap-to-translate and hold-to-explain
- Audio for the daily story, with word-by-word highlighting
- Quizzes and word review
- A streak freeze every month
- Create your own stories (free account)
Plus
$59.99/yearFor regular readers. Starts with a 7-day free trial; $7.99/month if you prefer.
- 15 new stories a day
- 3 custom stories a day
- Unlimited word lookups
- 50 sentence explanations a day
- 15 story translations a day
- Listen to any story, up to 3 a day
- Unlimited saved words for review
- Short and long stories
- Learn 2 languages at once
- 3 streak freezes a month
- Stories built from the words you are learning
Pro
$99.99/yearFor people who read every day. Starts with a 7-day free trial; $14.99/month if you prefer.
- 40 new stories a day
- 10 custom stories a day
- Unlimited word lookups
- 200 sentence explanations a day
- 50 story translations a day
- Listen to any story, up to 10 a day
- Unlimited saved words for review
- Short, long and chapter-length stories
- Learn all 10 languages
- 5 streak freezes a month
- Turn your own text into a graded reading (5 a day)
- Story series up to 6 parts
- Stories built from the words you are learning
- Choose your narrator in every language
Questions, answered.
Don't see your language, or something else on your mind? Email us.
What languages are stories available in?
Volitude currently supports French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Arabic and Hindi, with more being added over time.
How much does Volitude cost?
Volitude is free to start, with a daily allowance of new stories and translations, plus audio for the daily story. Plus ($59.99/year or $7.99/month) and Pro ($99.99/year or $14.99/month) raise those limits and let you listen to any story, and both start with a 7-day free trial. You can cancel any time.
Is Volitude suitable for complete beginners?
Not really. Volitude works best if you already understand some basic vocabulary and grammar in your target language. It's designed to help bridge the gap between traditional learning apps and real-world reading.
How are the stories personalised?
During onboarding, you'll select a few broad interests like travel, food, sport or technology. As you read, Volitude gradually learns what kinds of stories you engage with most and adapts future recommendations over time.
Can I choose what the stories are about?
Yes. Tap "Create your own story" on the home screen and describe an idea, such as a character, a place and what happens. Volitude writes it in your target language at your current level, with a quiz just like any other story.
Are there any limits on custom stories?
Your idea needs to describe a story, so requests for code, essays, or a different language or level won't work. Unsafe or offensive ideas are filtered out, and there's a limit on how many custom stories you can create each day.
Can I translate words and sentences while reading?
Yes. Tap any word for an instant translation that takes the sentence around it into account. Press and hold a sentence (or part of one) to have it explained: what it means, the grammar behind it and anything worth knowing. You can also show a translation of the whole story.
Does Volitude use AI?
Yes - stories are generated using AI based on your selected interests (or your own story ideas), reading level and previous activity. The aim is to create reading practice that feels more engaging and relevant than repetitive generic exercises.
Will I keep seeing the same kinds of stories?
No. Volitude intentionally mixes familiar recommendations with new topics and styles to keep reading interesting and expose you to a wide range of vocabulary and scenarios.
Why not just read real books or articles?
Real native content can often be overwhelming for beginner and intermediate learners. Volitude aims to provide a middle ground: stories that still feel authentic and interesting, but are adapted to your level and supported with learning tools like instant translations and audio.
Your next story is waiting.
Pick a language, choose what you're into, and start reading today.
No signup required.