Meaning in context
One answer that fits the sentence - idioms, archaic words and slang included.
Reading app for language learners · iPhone & iPad
Read real books in the language you’re learning.
Tap any word and see what it means in this sentence - with a one-line explanation of why. Save it together with the sentence, review it before you forget, send it to Anki.
Don Quijote · Capítulo I
En un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, no ha mucho tiempo que vivía un hidalgo de los de lanza en astillero, adarga antigua, rocín flaco y galgo corredor. Una olla de algo más vaca que carnero, salpicón las más noches, duelos y quebrantos los sábados, lentejas los viernes, algún palomino de añadidura los domingos…
duelos y quebrantosSave
eggs and bacon
A Saturday dish · literally “griefs and breakings”
SentenceWhy?Grammar
Why not just a dictionary?
A dictionary gives you ten meanings. The sentence needs one.
Real books are full of idioms, old words and double meanings. Pop-up dictionaries guess; translators rewrite the whole page. LinguaRead reads the sentence first - then tells you what the word means right here.
Don Quijote · Chapter 1
Una olla de algo más vaca que carnero, salpicón las más noches, duelos y quebrantos los sábados…
A dictionary
Wrong: griefs and breakages, sorrows
LinguaRead
eggs and bacon
It sits in a list of meals, so it names a Saturday dish - literally “griefs and breakings”.
How it works
Read. Tap. Remember.
Words
5words to review~2 min · 3 booksReview
All words · 52
ReadWordsYou
4 of 12
Don Quijote · Chapter 1
astillero
lance rack
…un hidalgo de los de lanza en astillero, adarga antigua…
…a gentleman with a lance on the rack, an old shield…
Again<10 minHard1 dayGood3 daysEasy6 days
- 1
Open a real book
Import any EPUB from Files, Mail or the web - or pick a free classic in the built-in library.
- 2
Tap what you don’t know
Meaning in context, a short “why”, grammar on demand. Save it - the sentence comes along.
- 3
Review in two minutes
Spaced repetition shows each word right before you’d forget it - with the line you found it in.
Everything a reader needs, nothing that gets in the way
Built for long reads, not for streaks and badges.
“Why?” and grammar
A short explanation of why it means that, plus form and grammar when you want it.
Words keep their sentence
Every saved word remembers the line and the book it came from. Context is what makes it stick.
Spaced repetition
SM-2 reviews, one deck per book, a few minutes a day. You set the daily goal.
Export to Anki
CSV with the word, meaning, sentence, its translation and the book. Works with any flashcard app.
A reader first
Literata type, paper and dark themes, focus on the current sentence. It just feels good to read.
Already use Anki?
Keep your deck. Feed it better cards.
Words you save while reading export as ready-made cards: the word, its meaning here, the original sentence, its translation and where you found it. One tap, one CSV.
astillero ; lance rack ; …un hidalgo de los de lanza en astillero… ; …a gentleman with a lance on the rack… ; Don Quijote, ch. 1
Export words52 words
AnkiPlain CSV
astillero ; lance rack ;
…de los de lanza en astillero… ;
Don Quijote, ch. 1
Export 52 words
…de los de lanza en astillero… ;
Don Quijote, ch. 1
14 languages
Pick the language. Pick the book.
Each language has its own page with books to start with and tips for your level.
Compared
Why readers switch.
| Feature | LinguaRead | E-reader dictionary | Copy into a translator | Flashcard app alone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meaning that fits the sentence | Yes | No | Partly | No |
| Explains idioms and grammar | Yes | No | No | No |
| Stays on the page, one tap | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Saves the word with its sentence | Yes | Partly | No | By hand |
| Spaced review + Anki export | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Comparing with a specific app? See LinguaRead vs LingQ, vs Readlang and vs Beelinguapp.
Pricing
Start free. Upgrade when you read every day.
Free
$0
forever- YesYour EPUBs and the free classics library
- YesTap-to-translate, limited per day
- YesReading progress and goals
Plus
$5.99 / month
or $49.99 a year · cancel anytime- YesUnlimited tap-to-translate
- YesFull explanations and grammar
- YesSpaced repetition and Anki export
- YesiCloud sync across devices
What level do I need?
If you can follow a simple story with a word or two per line to look up, you’re ready. Beginners start with shorter classics; the “why” notes help most from intermediate up.
Can I read my own books?
Yes. Import any DRM-free EPUB from Files, Mail, the web or Project Gutenberg. There’s also a built-in library of free public-domain classics, sorted by language.
Which languages are supported?
Fourteen: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic and English. Each has its own page with books to start with.
How is this different from Google Translate or a Kindle dictionary?
A dictionary shows every meaning of a word and leaves you to guess; a translator rewrites the whole passage. LinguaRead reads the sentence and gives the one meaning that fits here, with a short note on why - and you never leave the page.
How do I export my words to Anki?
Open Words, tap Export and choose Anki or plain CSV. Each card carries the word, its meaning in context, the original sentence, its translation and the book it came from.
Does it work offline? Do I need an account?
Reading works offline once a book is in your library; tap-to-translate needs a connection for the lookup, and saved words stay available offline. No account is needed - your library and words sync through your own iCloud.
Is there an Android version?
Not yet. LinguaRead is for iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later) for now.
That book you’ve meant to read in the original? Start it tonight.
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