About 10 million people speak Catalan. It is the only official language of Andorra, and it is official along with Spanish in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia, where it is called Valencian. Many big language apps do not teach it, and much of the help for learners comes free from the Catalan government and public broadcasters.
Here are the apps and services that teach Catalan, 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 Catalan. You learn from Catalan you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Bubblegum builds Catalan 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 Catalan to read about music, food, family, and other things you care about.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum is not a person to talk with. For audio lessons with recorded speakers, Ling and uTalk are the better fit, and for conversation, try the apps in Learn With People.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Catalan 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 Catalan Course
If you want someone to choose what comes next, start here. These apps give you an ordered path through Catalan words and sentences.
Ling
Ling teaches Catalan through short, game-like lessons with grammar notes and tips. It suits beginners who want a little practice at a time.
- Lessons at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, with audio from native Catalan speakers.
- A chatbot lets you practice everyday conversations.
- Flashcards
Mobile
Glossika
Glossika trains your listening and speaking with sentences you hear, say, and type. It has a full-practice mode and a listening-only mode you can use hands-free.
- More than 5,000 words and sentences, from beginner to advanced.
- Catalan is one of Glossika's free courses.
MobileWeb
Build Vocabulary
Memrise
Memrise offers Catalan vocabulary practice through community word lists on its website and mobile app. You can look for a topic that fits your goal or collect your own words. This differs from the older Community Courses website.
- Choose Catalan word lists made by other learners.
- Make a list of your own words to practice.
MobileWeb
Drops
Drops added Catalan in September 2023. It suits visual learners who enjoy quick word games, in sessions of about five minutes.
- Pictures help connect Catalan words with meanings.
- Audio recorded by native speakers.
Mobile
uTalk
uTalk helps you learn words through games and audio. Topics include restaurants, directions, shopping, and visits to the doctor.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases in over 60 topics.
- Audio from real Catalan speakers.
MobileWeb
Clozemaster
Clozemaster has you pick or type the missing word in a Catalan sentence. Sentences are ordered by how common the missing word is, so you meet the most useful words first.
- Every word you learn appears inside a real sentence.
- Sentences come back for review when you are about to forget them.
MobileWeb
Read and Listen to Catalan
LingQ
LingQ is a library of Catalan lessons to read and listen to, sorted by level. Beginners can start with its Mini Stories series, which repeats basic patterns.
- A free library of Catalan courses, including beginner and intermediate series and the Easy Catalan Podcast.
- Import podcasts, videos, and ebooks of your own as lessons.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
For more Catalan you can read, watch, and listen to at your level, see our Catalan comprehensible input comparison.
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 with English in return.
The Catalan government's Voluntariat per la llengua program also pairs you with a volunteer for conversation practice, in person or online.
italki
italki lists Catalan tutors. Read their profiles to find one who teaches at your level.
- Choose a Catalan tutor and book lessons that fit your goals.
- Tutors correct your mistakes as you speak.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply lists Catalan teachers, and it has a page for English speakers who want to learn Catalan.
- Tutors explain Catalan in English and plan lessons around your goals.
- Free tutor replacement until you are satisfied.
MobileWeb
Tandem
Tandem lists Catalan among its languages. 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 Catalan Resources
Parla.cat is a free online Catalan course from the Catalan government. Its self-study option costs nothing, and a paid option adds a tutor. Speakcat is a free course set in university life, from the Intercat resource site.
Easy Catalan interviews people on the street, with subtitles in Catalan, English, and Spanish. 3Cat streams TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio live, with series, documentaries, and podcasts in Catalan. Some programs are not available outside Spain. Optimot answers questions about Catalan words and grammar, and it searches the Institut d'Estudis Catalans dictionary.
Learn Catalan 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
|
| Ling | 67 | Full list |
| Glossika | 2 | Full list |
| Drops | 16 | Full list |
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| Clozemaster | 37 | Full list |
| LingQ | 17 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
| Tandem | 14 | Full list |
| Memrise | 22 | Full list |
Other Apps We Looked At (6)
- DuolingoA free Catalan course with short lessons. It is taught from Spanish, so you switch your base language to Spanish to take it.
- TalkpalAn AI tutor app with a Catalan page, where you chat by writing or speaking and get feedback on your pronunciation.
- HelloTalkA language exchange app with a Catalan page, where you can chat with Catalan speakers by text, voice, and video, and join level-based voice rooms.
- Talk in CatalanA site for English speakers with Catalan guides on phrases, grammar, books, and the official Catalan exams.
- Fast - Speak Catalan LanguageAn iPhone app with interactive audio lessons and a Catalan vocabulary list.
- Catalan Dictionary and QuizA dictionary with more than 15,000 curated words and phrases, plus a quiz.
Common Questions
Which Catalan app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Catalan, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Parla.cat if you want a free course in order, or Ling if you want short lessons in an app. Add a tutor on italki or Preply when you want to speak. Catalan uses the Latin alphabet, so you do not need to learn a new script first.
Can I learn Catalan for free?
Yes. Parla.cat's self-study option is free, and it has four levels, each with three courses of about 45 hours. Voluntariat per la llengua costs nothing, with one hour of conversation a week for at least ten meetings. 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
- Generalitat de Catalunya: Catalan
- Generalitat de Catalunya: Legal framework of Catalan
- Generalitat de Catalunya: Parla.cat
- Generalitat de Catalunya: Voluntariat per la llengua
- Memrise: Community Courses moved to a separate website
- Memrise: Catalan community word lists in the current app
- Memrise: community word lists restored to current website and apps
- Bubblegum
- Ling
- Glossika
- Drops
- uTalk
- Clozemaster
- LingQ
- italki
- Preply
- Tandem
Checked on October 10, 2026 against each app's own pages.
