Short, real-life Dutch texts at your level. Tap any word for an instant translation, then check you understood.
A letter from the town hall
Reading is one of the five DUO exam parts. Practise the real reading exam — with timing and scoring — inside the app.
Try the full reading exam →Letters from the gemeente, school notes, medicine leaflets — the kind of Dutch you actually have to read as a newcomer, not textbook filler.
Stuck on a word? Tap it. You get the meaning instantly, in context, without leaving the text or breaking your reading flow.
Every text ends with a couple of Dutch comprehension questions — the same 'begrijpend lezen' skill the DUO reading exam tests.
Pick your level (A1, A2 or B1) and a topic, then read a short Dutch text. Tap any word to see its English meaning instantly — the hard words are pre-translated, and anything else is looked up on the fly. When you have read it, answer a couple of comprehension questions in Dutch to check you understood. There are 450 ready-made texts, plus an AI button that writes unlimited new ones at your level.
A1 is for absolute beginners: very short sentences and everyday words. A2 is the level of the inburgeringsexamen — real letters, flyers and messages. B1 is Staatsexamen I: longer texts with subordinate clauses, complaints and informational writing. Start one level below where you feel comfortable and move up.
Yes. Reading (lezen) is one of the parts of the A2 inburgeringsexamen, and it rewards two things: knowing enough vocabulary and understanding the gist of real documents. Reading short, realistic texts and checking your comprehension builds exactly that, and the tap-to-translate glossary grows your vocabulary as you go.
No. The reader is completely free and needs no login. If you want to practise the full DUO reading exam with real timing and scoring — plus the other four sections — you can do that inside the app.