Basque, or Euskara, is spoken at the western end of the Pyrenees, in Spain and in France, and it is related to no other known language family. In the Basque Autonomous Community, about 680,000 people aged 16 and over speak it, which was 36.2% of that age group in the 2021 survey. Many big language apps do not teach Basque. HABE, the Basque Government's institute for teaching Basque to adults, offers free courses online.
Here are the apps and services that teach Basque, grouped by what they help you do. You can start with one and add another when you need it.
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Basque. You learn from Basque you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Bubblegum builds Basque lessons around your own life. Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, what you want to learn. She writes lessons for your level and helps you understand the words and grammar. You can read and listen, and ask her about anything that is unclear. News and stories give you more Basque to read about the things you care about.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum is not a teacher or a person to talk with. For audio lessons with recorded speakers, uTalk and Drops are the better fit. For conversation, try the apps in Learn With People, and for a fixed course, try HABE's free courses below.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Basque about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading instead of using flashcards.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Follow a Free Basque Course
BOGA
BOGA was made by Basque teachers at Zornotzako Barnetegia. Its English edition takes you from beginner to A2.1 through 15 stories. Separate French and Spanish editions are available too.
- A free beginner course with stories, videos, audio, and grammar explanations.
- No account is needed, and your results stay on your device.
Mobile
Build Vocabulary
Drops
Drops added Basque in February 2025, with lessons made together with native speakers and language experts. It suits learners who like short, visual games for building words.
- Five-minute lessons that link each Basque word to a picture.
- Audio from native speakers for every word and phrase.
Mobile
uTalk
uTalk gets you talking from the start with games built around real-life situations.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases across 60+ topics.
- Voiced by native speakers, and you can record yourself to work on your accent.
MobileWeb
Memrise
Memrise's current Basque page offers learner-made word lists in its app. Choose a list for the words you need. Older decks use the separate Community Courses website.
- Basque word lists made by other learners.
- Short vocabulary sessions with spaced review.
MobileWeb
Clozemaster
Clozemaster asks you to fill in the missing word in a sentence, by choosing from a list or typing it. Sentences come back for review when you are about to forget them.
- Every Basque word you learn appears inside a real sentence.
- Sentences are sorted by how common the missing word is, so you meet useful words first.
MobileWeb
Learn With People
Choose a tutor if you want teaching and correction. Choose a language exchange if you want a practice partner and are happy to help your partner with their language in return.
italki
italki has a Basque tutor page. Profiles say who teaches beginners and who focuses on conversation.
- Choose a Basque tutor and book one-on-one lessons.
- Get feedback while you speak.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply has a Basque tutor page. Read profiles to find a tutor who fits your level and goals.
- Compare tutors by profile, reviews, and intro video.
- Practice the Basque you need with a tutor.
MobileWeb
Tandem
Tandem lists Basque among its supported languages, and it has members in Basque cities such as Bilbao and San Sebastián. Agree with your partner on how to split time between your two languages.
- Practice with messages, voice notes, and video calls.
- Correct each other's writing.
- You arrange practice with a partner; it is not a guided course.
MobileWeb
Free Courses and Basque Media
HABE's free online resources are a good place to begin. AISA is a welcome course for newcomers to the Basque Country, and you can study it online without a teacher. Ikasbil is HABE's library of audio, video, and reading material for levels A1 to C2. The Euskal Kultura guide links to more free online courses, dictionaries, and exercises in Spanish, English, and French.
If you can study with a teacher, an euskaltegi is a school for adults who are learning Basque. AEK is a network of euskaltegis that also teaches online.
To hear Basque, EITB is the Basque public broadcaster, and you can watch ETB1 and listen to Euskadi Irratia live online. For news to read, Berria is a newspaper written in Basque. For words, Elhuyar's dictionaries translate between Basque and Spanish, French, or English, and the Elhuyar app has an offline mode.
For more Basque you can read, watch, and listen to at your level, see our Basque comprehensible input comparison.
Learn Basque in Your Language
These counts cover menu-language choices, including script variants. BOGA has separate English, French, and Spanish editions. Other apps’ counts and full lists come from their iPhone listings. Lesson explanations and other platforms may differ.
| App | Supported Display Languages | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Full list
|
| BOGA | 3 editions | Full list |
| Drops | 16 | Full list |
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| Memrise | 22 | Full list |
| Clozemaster | 37 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
| Tandem | 14 | Full list |
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- Etxepare Basque InstituteSupports Basque classes at universities and Basque centers around the world.
Common Questions
Which Basque app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Basque, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with BOGA for a free course in English, or HABE's AISA course, or with an euskaltegi if you live in the Basque Country. Add Drops or uTalk to build words, and a tutor on italki when you want to speak. Basque uses the Latin alphabet, so you do not need to learn a new script first.
Can I learn Basque for free?
Yes. BOGA, HABE's AISA course, and the Ikasbil library are free, and the Euskal Kultura guide links to more free online courses. Bubblegum's lesson library is free to read too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Basque Government: VII Sociolinguistic Survey 2021, Basque Autonomous Community (summary)
- Etxepare Basque Institute: What is the Basque language?
- Euskal Kultura: Learn Basque
- Drops: Drops expands its language learning offering with 6 new languages (February 2025)
- Zornotzako Barnetegia: BOGA app editions
- App Store: BOGA English edition
- Memrise: current Basque word lists
- Bubblegum
- Drops
- uTalk
- Clozemaster
- italki
- Preply
- Tandem
Checked on October 10, 2026 against each app's own pages.
