B1 · Italiano
Italian short stories for B1 learners
Classic stories, retold for your level
These are classics originally written in Italian, retold for B1–B2 learners. A retelling keeps the whole plot of the original — every scene, every turn — in language pitched at your level. Every sentence has a translation into your language, and the first sentences of any story are free to type, no account needed.
La Lupa
The She-Wolf · Giovanni Verga, 1880
Era una donna alta e magra, di carnagione scura.
She was a tall, thin woman, with dark skin.
B1–B21,609 words~49 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Un osso di morto
A Dead Man's Bone · Iginio Ugo Tarchetti, 1869
Lascio a chi legge il compito di giudicare i fatti che sto per riferire, perché io, per conto mio, non riesco a spiegarli.
I leave it to the reader to judge the facts I am about to relate, because I myself cannot explain them.
B1–B21,915 words~58 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Il treno ha fischiato
The Train Whistled · Luigi Pirandello, 1914
I colleghi sembravano provare un piacere nascosto nel diffondere la notizia.
His colleagues seemed to feel a hidden pleasure in spreading the news.
B1–B22,176 words~66 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Cavalleria rusticana
Giovanni Verga, 1880
Tornato dal servizio militare, Turiddu Macca aveva preso una nuova abitudine.
After returning from military service, Turiddu Macca had taken up a new habit.
B1–B22,401 words~73 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Il piccolo scrivano fiorentino
The Little Florentine Scribe · Edmondo De Amicis, 1886
Frequentava la quarta elementare ed era un bel ragazzino fiorentino di dodici anni, con i capelli neri e la carnagione chiara.
He was in fourth grade and was a handsome twelve-year-old Florentine boy, with black hair and a fair complexion.
B1–B22,475 words~75 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
La giara
The Jar · Luigi Pirandello, 1909
Fu un'annata eccezionale per tutta la campagna, e gli ulivi produssero più di quanto ci si aspettasse.
It was an exceptional year for the whole countryside, and the olive trees produced more than anyone had expected.
B1–B23,155 words~96 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Il Natale del Consigliere
The Councillor's Christmas · Grazia Deledda, 1912
Il piroscafo doveva salpare alle cinque.
The steamship was due to sail at five.
B1–B23,728 words~113 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
Vino generoso
Generous Wine · Italo Svevo, 1927
Una nipote di mia moglie stava per prendere marito, giunta a quell'età in cui una ragazza, se resta sola, comincia lentamente a diventare zitella.
A niece of my wife's was about to take a husband, having reached that age when a girl, if she remains alone, slowly begins to become a spinster.
B1–B25,912 words~179 min to typeTranslation: EN UK ES FR DE PT KO
B1 in other languages
Questions
How were these retellings made?
Each retelling starts as an AI draft written to its level. A second pass critiques and revises it: does it fit the level, is the whole plot still there? A mechanical check makes sure no long passages are copied from the original. English and Ukrainian retellings are also read by a person before they go live.
Are these official CEFR levels?
No. A1–A2, B1–B2 and C1 are the targets each retelling is written to, on the CEFR scale (the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) you know from courses and exams. No one certifies the level of a story, ours included, so treat it as a guide: if a page feels too easy or too hard, move one level over.
Can I switch levels in the middle of a story?
Yes. The three levels are separate retellings of the same story, and each keeps its own progress — switch to an easier or a harder one whenever you like, and come back to where you left off.
Is it free?
The first sentences of every retelling are free to type, no account needed, and the free daily practice draws sentences from the whole library. Whole stories, at all three levels, come with Krapka Pro — $5 a month or $45 a year.