Learning levels
Hikaya grades every story on the CEFR scale, the international standard for language ability. Start where you are comfortable and move up when stories start to feel easy.
Beginner
مبتدئ
Simple sentences and everyday words for absolute beginners.
At this level you can:
- Understand very short, simple sentences
- Recognize everyday words like family, food, and home
- Follow a simple story about daily life
Typical grammar:
Present simple, basic pronouns, common nouns and adjectives.
Elementary
أساسي
Short stories about daily routines, family, and familiar topics.
At this level you can:
- Read short stories about routines and familiar places
- Understand simple past events
- Follow simple connected sentences
Typical grammar:
Past simple, going-to future, basic connectors like and, but, because.
Intermediate
متوسط
Longer narratives with richer vocabulary and connected ideas.
At this level you can:
- Follow a story with a clear plot and several characters
- Understand opinions and feelings in a text
- Guess new words from context
Typical grammar:
Present perfect, conditionals, relative clauses, comparatives.
Upper Intermediate
فوق المتوسط
Complex stories with abstract themes and nuanced language.
At this level you can:
- Read longer stories with abstract ideas
- Understand implied meaning and tone
- Enjoy plots with twists and complex characters
Typical grammar:
Passive voice, reported speech, mixed tenses, idiomatic phrases.
Advanced
متقدم
Sophisticated texts with idiomatic and academic language.
At this level you can:
- Read sophisticated texts with nuanced vocabulary
- Appreciate style, atmosphere, and subtext
- Understand idiomatic and figurative language
Typical grammar:
Advanced structures, inversion, nuanced register, rich idioms.