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 is 36.2% of that age group. 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
Bubblegum suits learners who want Basque built around their own lives. 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 does not replace real Basque voices or a teacher. For 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.
- Read Basque lessons for free.
- 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.
- Lesson audio uses AI voices, not recordings of Basque speakers.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- The free plan includes one new custom lesson each day.
- Regenerative Review™
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
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 lists 4 Basque tutors. Their 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 lists 4 Basque tutors, including a native speaker from northern Navarre. 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.
- It can take a few tries to find a partner who matches your interests and time.
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.
Learn Basque in Your Language
These counts cover menu-language choices, including script variants. 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
|
| Drops | 16 | Full list |
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| Clozemaster | 37 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
| Tandem | 14 | Full list |
Other Apps We Looked At (3)
- BOGA by HABEA course from level A0 to A2.1 with 470 short videos, 10,000 audio clips, 3,500 exercises, and 700 grammar explanations. It has English and French app versions.
- Memrise word listsBasque word lists made by other learners, such as !Basque me! and Euskera básico I, which you can study in the Memrise app.
- Etxepare Basque InstituteSupports Basque classes at universities and Basque centers around the world.
Common Questions
Which Basque app should a beginner choose?
Start with HABE's free 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. Bubblegum suits learners who want lessons around their own interests. Basque uses the Latin alphabet, so you do not need to learn a new script first.
Can I learn Basque for free?
Yes. HABE's AISA course and the Ikasbil library are free, and the Euskal Kultura guide links to more free online courses. In 2020 the Basque Government made courses up to level B2 free in the Basque Autonomous Community's euskaltegis for learners who pass their level, and the announcement is in Basque. Bubblegum's lesson library is free to read too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. You can read the free lesson library and ask Poppy for one new custom lesson each day on iPhone and Android. Become a Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons and to support our team.
Sources
- Basque Government: VII Sociolinguistic Survey 2021, Basque Autonomous Community (summary)
- Etxepare Basque Institute: What is the Basque language?
- Basque Government (2020): Learning Basque is free up to level B2 in the community's euskaltegis
- Euskal Kultura: Learn Basque
- Drops: Drops expands its language learning offering with 6 new languages (February 2025)
- Bubblegum
- Drops
- uTalk
- Clozemaster
- italki
- Preply
- Tandem
Checked on October 4, 2026 against each app's own pages.
