Indonesian is the national language of Indonesia, and most of the people who speak it use it as a second language. The formal Indonesian of books and classrooms differs from how friends talk, so ask your tutor or partner to show you the everyday version. Pick the way you want to practice: repeat after audio, chat with a partner, or book a tutor who corrects you. For all the ways to learn Indonesian, see our Indonesian apps comparison, and for reading and listening, see our Indonesian comprehensible input comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Indonesian. You learn from Indonesian you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Indonesian lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- Poppy writes Indonesian lessons at your level, about things you like.
- Ask Poppy to explain a sentence, or to roleplay a conversation.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved Indonesian words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Bubblegum focuses on reading and listening more than speaking, so use a tutor or a partner for speaking practice.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Pimsleur
Each Pimsleur lesson is a 30-minute audio conversation in which you hear a prompt, answer in Indonesian, and then hear the model answer.
- The Indonesian course is 30 lessons of 30 minutes each.
- You answer out loud, then hear the model answer.
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italki
italki lets you book a one-to-one Indonesian lesson. Each teacher decides how to correct you, so tell the teacher you want to speak.
- Indonesian tutors teach everything from casual conversation to test preparation.
- Some tutors are certified to teach Indonesian to foreign speakers.
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Preply
Preply has Indonesian tutors. Choose one who offers conversation lessons at your level.
- Compare Indonesian tutors by profile, reviews, and intro video.
- Message a tutor before you book a lesson.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
On HelloTalk an Indonesian speaker helps you with Indonesian while you help them with your language. Basic use is free, and the VIP plan adds more.
- Chat with Indonesian speakers by text, voice messages, calls, and voice rooms.
- Partners can correct your messages and translate for you.
- Your partners are language learners and speakers, not trained teachers, so how much feedback you get depends on who you meet.
MobileWeb
Tandem
Tandem is built around finding one regular partner. It has a free basic app and a Pro plan, and a language party lets you meet several people at once.
- Practice with text, voice notes, audio calls, and video calls.
- Tell Tandem your goals and interests to find partners.
- It can take a few tries to find a partner who matches your interests and time.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (2)
Each number is how many languages the app's US iPhone App Store listing shows, and Bubblegum's number is the languages you can use its menus in. Lessons and explanations may be offered in fewer.
| App | How You Practice | Who Gives Feedback | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Ask Poppy questions or a roleplay about a lesson | Poppy | 76 | Full list
|
| Pimsleur | Answer prompts aloud | You, by comparing with the model answer | 3 | Full list |
| italki | Live lessons with a teacher | The teacher | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | Live lessons with a tutor | The tutor | 19 | Full list |
| HelloTalk | Text, voice, calls, and voice rooms | Your partner | 16 | Full list |
| Tandem | Text, voice notes, and calls | Your partner | 14 | Full list |
| Talkpal | Talk or write with an AI partner | The app | 51 | Full list |
| Mondly | Set dialogues and a chatbot | The app | 32 | Full list |
Which Indonesian app should a beginner choose for speaking?
If you are serious about learning Indonesian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. To speak from the first week, add Pimsleur's 30-lesson Indonesian course. Then book a trial lesson with an italki or Preply tutor and ask for everyday conversation.
Is formal Indonesian different from everyday Indonesian?
Yes. Learners on Reddit say the formal Indonesian they study sounds different from everyday conversation. Ask your tutor or partner to teach you the casual way to say what you learned, and read our Indonesian apps comparison to add a reading course.
Can I practice Indonesian speaking for free?
HelloTalk and Tandem have free basic exchanges with Indonesian speakers, and Talkpal has free basic access. italki charges for each lesson, and Preply starts with a paid trial lesson and then bills a recurring tutor subscription.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Pimsleur: Indonesian course
- Pimsleur: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- italki: Indonesian teachers
- italki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Preply: Indonesian tutors
- Preply: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- HelloTalk: Indonesian
- HelloTalk: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Tandem: supported languages
- Tandem: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Talkpal: Indonesian
- Talkpal: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Mondly: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Indonesian learner discussion: Is learning Bahasa from Duolingo good enough?
- Bubblegum
- Tandem
