Chinese Graded Readers

Stop reading the dictionary.
Start reading the story.

Experience the relief of seamless Chinese reading. RecallGrid decodes every sentence instantly, so you can stay in the flow and naturally absorb the HSK vocabulary you need.

Go ahead, try it!

Tap any word to reveal Pinyin & Meaning.
上 shàng Last Add
个 gè (MW) Add
月 yuè Month Add
,
我 wǒ My Add
的 de 's Add
中国 zhōng guó Chinese Add
朋友 péng you Friend Add
李明 lǐ míng Li Ming Add
过 guò Celebrate Add
生日 shēng rì Birthday Add
。
为了 wèi le In order to Add
给 gěi For Add
他 tā Him Add
庆祝 qìng zhù Celebrate Add
生日 shēng rì Birthday Add
,
我 wǒ I Add
决定 jué dìng Decide Add
买 mǎi Buy Add
一 yí One Add
个 gè (MW) Add
特别 tè bié Special Add
的 de (Adj) Add
礼物 lǐ wù Gift Add
。
我 wǒ I Add
在 zài At Add
商店 shāng diàn Store Add
里 lǐ Inside Add
看到 kàn dào Saw Add
了 le (Past) Add
一 yí One Add
个 gè (MW) Add
非常 fēi cháng Extremely Add
漂亮 piào liang Beautiful Add
的 de (Adj) Add
钟 zhōng Clock Add
,
我 wǒ I Add
觉得 jué de Feel/Think Add
放 zài On Add
桌子 zhuō zi Table Add
上 shang Top Add
一定 yí dìng Definitely Add
很 hěn Very Add
好看 hǎo kàn Good-looking Add
。
Last month, my Chinese friend Li Ming had a birthday. In order to celebrate his birthday, I decided to buy a special gift. I saw a very beautiful clock in the store; I felt it would definitely look good placed on a table.
生日 shēng rì Birthday Add
那 nà That Add
天 tiān Day Add
,
我 wǒ I Add
拿 ná Hold/Take Add
着 zhe (Aspect) Add
礼物 lǐ wù Gift Add
去 qù Went Add
了 le (Past) Add
李明 lǐ míng Li Ming Add
的 de 's Add
家 jiā Home Add
。
大家 dà jiā Everyone Add
都 dōu All Add
在 zài (Progressive) Add
唱歌 chàng gē Sing Add
、
吃 chī Eat Add
蛋糕 dàn gāo Cake Add
,
非常 fēi cháng Extremely Add
高兴 gāo xìng Happy Add
。
我 wǒ I Add
笑 xiào Smile Add
着 zhe (Aspect) Add
把 bǎ (Obj marker) Add
礼物 lǐ wù Gift Add
送 sòng Give Add
给 gěi To Add
了 le (Past) Add
李明 lǐ míng Li Ming Add
。
On that day of the birthday, I took the gift and went to Li Ming's house. Everyone was singing and eating cake, very happy. I smilingly gave the gift to Li Ming.
李明 lǐ míng Li Ming Add
打开 dǎ kāi Open Add
盒子 hé zi Box Add
,
发现 fā xiàn Discover Add
里面 lǐ miàn Inside Add
是 shì Is Add
一 yí One Add
个 gè (MW) Add
钟 zhōng Clock Add
。
突然 tū rán Suddenly Add
,
他 tā His Add
的 de 's Add
脸色 liǎn sè Complexion Add
变 biàn Change Add
了 le (Past) Add
,
看 kàn Look Add
起来 qǐ lái (Comp) Add
有点儿 yǒu diǎnr A little Add
奇怪 qí guài Strange Add
,
也 yě Also Add
不 bú Not Add
太 tài Too Add
高兴 gāo xìng Happy Add
。
周围 zhōu wéi Surrounding Add
的 de (Adj) Add
朋友 péng you Friend Add
们 men (Plural) Add
也 yě Also Add
都 dōu All Add
安静 ān jìng Quiet Add
了 le (Change) Add
下来 xià lái Down Add
。
Li Ming opened the box and discovered inside was a clock. Suddenly, his expression changed; he looked a little strange, and also not very happy. The surrounding friends also all quieted down.

Wait… why did the mood suddenly change?

Li Ming isn’t just ungrateful—you just committed a major cultural taboo! Unlock the full library to finish the story and learn the meaning behind “Sending a Clock” (Sòng Zhōng).

Your Reading. Your Rules.

Learning isn’t linear, so your reading tool shouldn’t be rigid. Use Tap Mode to keep the interface clean, tapping individual words for instant pinyin and definitions when you get stuck. Toggle Pinyin and/or English for the whole story to practice, and then switch it off to test character recognition.

Content is King

Context is King Flashcards teach you what a word means. Stories teach you how it’s used. We’ve written 40 progressively graded stories that systematically introduce HSK vocabulary in natural, compelling contexts.

Native-Sounding Neural Audio

Forget robotic text-to-speech. Our stories are narrated by advanced neural voice technology that captures the rhythm, tone, and emotion of a native speaker. Perfect for shadowing and listening practice.

“Tap Mode” Reading

Never get stuck on a difficult character again. Stuck? Just tap the word to peek at the definition and Pinyin. Tap away to keep reading. Maintain your “flow state” without the frustration of constant dictionary lookups.

Get Your Chinese Reader Foundation Library

This single, one-time purchase grants you immediate, lifetime access to our complete Foundation Library.

It includes 40 progressively graded stories designed to guide you step-by-step. You’ll start with extensive practice in HSK 1-3 to build a rock-solid core, then challenge yourself with advanced narratives as you climb through HSK 4, 5, and 6. Stop translating in your head and start reading.

What You Get:

  • Pay Once, Keep It Forever (No recurring fees for this collection)
  • LIFETIME ACCESS to the 40-Story Curriculum
  • Extensive Foundation: 30 stories dedicated to mastering HSK 1-3
  • Advanced Challenge: 10 bridge stories to push you through HSK 4-6
  • Native-Neural Audio included for every story
  • “Tap Mode” & Toggle Controls: Customize your difficulty instantly
  • Dual-Character Support: Switch instantly between Simplified and Traditional
  • Free Tech Updates: Get all future app feature improvements at no extra cost

Graded Readers Library

$67
  • Access to Full Story Library
  • Neural Audio & Pinyin Toggles
  • Stories for HSK 1-6
  • Lifetime Updates
Buy Library Only

Full One-Time Access

Best Value: Save $40

HSK Mastery Bundle

$146 $106
  • Everything in Readers Library
  • PLUS: HSK 1-6 Flashcards
  • Review 5,000+ Words
  • The Complete Fluency System
Get Mastery Bundle

Full One-Time Access

FAQs

Is this a subscription? Or just a one-time payment?

It is a one-time purchase for lifetime access to our Foundational Library. You pay $67 once and own the complete Progressive Reading System forever. This includes over 40 meticulously leveled stories that guide you step-by-step from HSK 1 to HSK 6. You will never be charged a subscription fee for access to this core curriculum.

Are these stories aligned with the HSK exams?

Yes, 100%. Our stories are meticulously written to match the official vocabulary and grammar points for each specific HSK level. You can be confident that while you are enjoying a story, you are reinforcing exactly the words and sentence structures you need to pass your exams.

I use the “HSK Standard Course” textbooks. Will this align with my studies?

Perfectly. Our library acts as the ideal practical companion to the HSK Standard Course series. While the textbooks teach you the rules, our readers let you see them in action. As you learn new grammar points in your book, you can read corresponding stories in RecallGrid to see how those concepts work in real, natural conversations.

How is this better than buying a PDF or a paperback graded reader?

RecallGrid is an interactive reading system, not just static text. With a paper book, if you don’t know a word, you have to stop and look it up. With our readers, you have “Tap Mode,” instant translations, and audio built right into the text. You stay in the flow of the story without the frustration of constant dictionary breaks.

Do the stories include Chinese audio?

Yes. Every single story in the library includes crystal-clear, native-sounding Mandarin audio audio. You can listen to the full story to practice your flow, or tap individual sentences to hear the pronunciation on demand. It’s essential for connecting the written characters to their spoken sounds.

Do you support both Simplified and Traditional Chinese characters?

Yes. Every story on RecallGrid includes a seamless toggle that lets you switch instantly between Simplified and Traditional characters. You don’t need to buy separate books—you get full access to both character sets for every story, giving you total flexibility in how you read.

Bonus: You also have total control over pronunciation. We include a toggle to switch between standard Pinyin and Zhuyin (Bopomofo), allowing you to customize your reading experience exactly the way you prefer.

What if I’m a total beginner? Is the full library too advanced?

Not at all. The library is designed to grow with you. You start with our Level 1 stories, which use very simple vocabulary and grammar designed for absolute beginners. Since the bundle grants you lifetime access to all levels, the more advanced content will be waiting for you the moment you are ready to level up.

Can I use RecallGrid on my phone?

Absolutely. RecallGrid is a fully responsive web platform, optimized to work seamlessly on any device. You can read a quick story on your phone during your commute, or study on your desktop at home. No app download is required—just log in and start reading.