Few apps teach Dari. Most Persian apps teach the Persian of Iran, and the Persian of Afghanistan is a separate course, or no course at all. Dari is one of Afghanistan's two official languages, along with Pashto, and it's written in the same Persian letters as the Persian of Iran.
Below, you'll find the apps that teach Dari itself, and what each one gives a Dari learner. For free courses, radio and books, see the best ways to learn Dari, and for Iranian Persian, see our Persian app comparison.
- The SoundsDari says the letter و as w, where Iran says v, and it keeps the q and gh sounds apart. Its vowels in some words differ too.
- The WordsSome everyday words are Afghan ones. A course for Iran teaches the Iranian word instead.
- The VoicesAsk whether the audio was recorded by Afghan speakers or only says the lesson is for Dari. An app that doesn't say may be teaching the Persian of Iran.
A car is موتر in Dari, and Iran says ماشین. The word شیر has one vowel for lion and another for milk in Dari, where Iran says both the same.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Persian. You learn from Persian you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Dari lessons. Ask her why Afghans say موتر for a car, or what a line means, and she explains it.
Bubblegum is built for reading and listening. For speaking practice, book a teacher in Practice With a Teacher.
- Dari Alphabet course: 12 short chapters on the Persian letters, each letter with a picture and the sound Dari gives it.
- Poppy writes the lessons in Dari with Afghan words, and the voices that read them are told to speak Dari, not Iranian Persian.
- Switch between Dari letters and Roman Dari, the Latin letters many Afghans text in, whenever you like.
- Words you save come back in new lessons through Regenerative Review™, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter in the free Persian Alphabet course, with a picture to help you remember each one.
- Bubblegum doesn’t focus on speaking. However, when you want to practice, ask Poppy questions about a lesson, or ask her to roleplay a conversation with you.
- You can't turn your own Dari books or articles into lessons.
- 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™
- Teaches the Dari Alphabet
Mobile
Mango Languages
Mango teaches Dari separately from Iranian Persian, and lists it apart from its Farsi course. If your library offers Mango, a library card may get you in for free.
- Lessons are conversations, with Grammar Notes and Culture Notes on etiquette and body language.
- A voice comparison tool lets you check your accent against a native speaker.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Pimsleur
Pimsleur calls its course Dari Persian and sells it apart from Farsi. You hear a phrase, then answer out loud, so you're speaking before you can read. Pair it with a script course when you're ready to read.
- 60 audio lessons of about 30 minutes each, in two levels.
- Voice Coach gives you feedback on your pronunciation.
MobileWeb
uTalk
uTalk teaches Dari separately from Iranian Persian. You play short games on each topic, and every word comes with a recording from an Afghan speaker. Its Free Starter Words topic lets you hear a few before you pay.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases, in topics from family to restaurants and travel.
- uTalk says it recorded Dari with native Afghan speakers.
MobileWeb
Preply
Some tutors teach both Dari and Iranian Persian, so read the profile for the word Dari. Ask your tutor to role-play a visit with your partner's family, so you practice the words you'd use there.
- Filter Dari tutors by country of birth, and many tutors describe themselves as from Afghanistan.
- One-to-one video lessons.
MobileWeb
italki
Book a trial lesson first to hear how a teacher speaks, then decide whether to book more.
- Many teachers list Dari as a native language, and trial lessons cost a few dollars.
- You choose the lesson time with each teacher.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (2)
- ZabanZaban puts Iranian Farsi, Afghan Dari and Tajik side by side in five courses, with Persian script, romanization and speaking checks. The first six units of each course are free, and the monthly Zaban Plus opens the rest.
- SilqSilq asks you to pick Afghan Dari before you start, and its lessons follow that choice, with Persian script beside a Latin spelling. It also has Pashto, Tajik, Uzbek and more than 20 other heritage languages, and it's free to begin.
Try one lesson in your language before you pay.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 76 | Supported language pairs |
| Mango | 2 | Full list |
| Zaban | 1 | Full list |
| Silq | 1 | Full list |
| Pimsleur | 3 | Full list |
| uTalk | 140+ | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
Which Dari app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Persian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Pimsleur if you'd like to speak first, or with uTalk if you'd like to hear Afghan speakers say your first words.
Can I use a Persian app to learn Dari?
It helps with the letters and much of the grammar. For everyday talk, pick an app that says it teaches Dari, so the sounds and words match the people you'll talk with. Formal writing is nearly the same in Afghanistan and Iran, so the gap matters most in speech.
Is there a Duolingo for Dari?
No. Duolingo doesn't teach Dari or Persian, as our page Is Dari on Duolingo? shows. The apps above are the ones that do.
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
- Wikipedia: Dari Persian (w, separate q and gh sounds, the mid long vowels, Kabul as the standard model)
- Constitution of Afghanistan (2004), Article 16: Pashto and Dari are the official languages of the state
- Wiktionary: موتر (Dari: car)
- Wiktionary: کلان (chiefly Dari: big)
- Bubblegum: Dari
- Bubblegum: Dari Alphabet course, chapter 1
- Mango Languages: Dari
- Mango Languages: pricing, free trial and free access through libraries
- Pimsleur: Learn Dari Persian (60 lessons of about 30 minutes, 7-day free trial)
- uTalk: Learn Dari (2,500+ words and phrases, recorded by Afghan speakers)
- Preply: Dari tutors
- italki: Dari teachers
- Zaban: Farsi, Dari & Tajik on the App Store
- Silq: Learn Languages Now on the App Store (Afghan Dari, chosen before you start)
- Mango: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Pimsleur: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- uTalk: Languages you can learn from
- Preply: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- italki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
