Folk tale · Adventure
Sinbad the Sailor
Reading level: we suggest CEFR B1–B2 for reading Sinbad the Sailor in English (it was first written in Arabic (via the Arabian Nights)). Length: seven voyages.
- Suggested levelB1–B2
- Lengthseven voyages
- Original languageArabic (via the Arabian Nights)
The story
A poor porter of Baghdad complains about his hard life outside a rich man's house. The rich man, Sinbad the Sailor, invites him in and tells him how he earned his fortune — in seven voyages.
An island that turns out to be a whale, the giant Roc bird, a valley of diamonds guarded by serpents, the Old Man of the Sea: every voyage ends in shipwreck, and every shipwreck ends in treasure.
Themes: luck and fate, trade and the sea, storytelling, wonder.
Why it's a good book for language learners
The seven voyages follow the same pattern, which is a big help for learners: once you know the structure, you can focus on the new details. The storyteller voice — Sinbad speaking to his guest — makes the language direct and easy to follow.
How hard is the English in Sinbad the Sailor?
- Flesch Reading Ease73.2
- Flesch–Kincaid grade8.4
- Words per sentence21.4
Measured by PageWalker on the full English text of the book. Flesch Reading Ease runs from 0 to 100 (higher is easier; 60–70 is plain English) and the Flesch–Kincaid grade is a US school grade. These formulas only count sentence and word length, so they miss old-fashioned vocabulary, wordplay and style. That is why our CEFR level, which takes those into account, can be higher than the formula suggests.
What you'll practise
- Sea, ship and trade vocabulary
- Storytelling sequence: first, then, at last
- Past simple narration
- Describing marvels and monsters
Reading tip
Read one voyage per day for a week. By the end you will be able to predict the pattern.
Did you know?
The Sinbad tales reached Europe through Antoine Galland's French translation of the Arabian Nights in the early 1700s.
The PageWalker adventure
In the adventure you sail the seven voyages and choose how Sinbad escapes each disaster. You can try the first page in your browser, and the adventure is available in 13 languages with click-to-translate.
Sinbad the Sailor in other languages
- EnglishSinbad the Sailor
- العربيةالسندباد البحري
- DeutschSindbad der Seefahrer
- EspañolSimbad el Marino
- FrançaisSinbad le marin
- हिन्दीसिंदबाद जहाज़ी
- ItalianoSindbad il marinaio
- 日本語船乗りシンドバッド
- 한국어뱃사람 신드바드
- PortuguêsSimbad, o Marujo
- РусскийСиндбад-мореход
- TürkçeDenizci Sinbad
- 简体中文辛巴达航海记
Questions about Sinbad the Sailor
What reading level is Sinbad the Sailor?
We suggest CEFR B1–B2 for reading Sinbad the Sailor in English (it was first written in Arabic (via the Arabian Nights)). The seven voyages follow the same pattern, which is a big help for learners: once you know the structure, you can focus on the new details. On readability formulas the English text scores a Flesch Reading Ease of 73.2 and a Flesch–Kincaid grade of 8.4, with an average of 21.4 words per sentence.
How long is Sinbad the Sailor?
Sinbad the Sailor by Traditional (Medieval Arabic tradition). Length: seven voyages.
Can I play Sinbad the Sailor as an interactive adventure?
Yes. In the adventure you sail the seven voyages and choose how Sinbad escapes each disaster. You can try the first page in your browser, in 13 languages.
Updated 16 October 2026
