The Constitution of India names Hindi, written in Devanagari, as the official language of India's central government. In Devanagari, the letters hang from a line across the top of each word. India's 2011 census counted about 528 million people who grew up speaking Hindi or a closely related language like Bhojpuri. Spoken Hindi is very close to Urdu, so what you learn will also help you understand a lot of everyday Urdu.
For Hindi stories and podcasts at your level, see our Hindi comprehensible input comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Hindi. You learn from Hindi you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Bubblegum writes Hindi lessons about what's coming up in your life. Say you're meeting your partner's family in Jaipur. Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, and she writes the talk you might have over dinner, at your level. You can hear every line read aloud, and she'll explain any part that confuses you.
Poppy builds a flexible journey around your interests and level. Bubblegum focuses on reading and listening more than speaking, so for speaking practice, try a tutor in Practice With a Teacher.
- A Hindi Letters course of 16 short chapters teaches each letter with its sound.
- Read lessons in Hindi letters, or in the Latin letters many people text Hindi in.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to Hindi lessons, stories, and news about things you care about.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved 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.
- The Hindi Letters course doesn't teach you to write the letters by hand.
- You can't turn your own Hindi books or articles into lessons. However, you can paste a page in the chat, and Poppy will explain it.
- 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 Hindi Letters
Mobile
Duolingo
Duolingo has a free Hindi course for English speakers. It's an easy way to find out whether you like studying Hindi.
- Character lessons show you Hindi letters and the sounds they make.
- The whole course is free to use.
- Teaches Hindi Letters
MobileWeb
Ling
Ling turns Hindi into short, game-like lessons. Once you know a few phrases, you can practice them in short dialogues.
- Short lessons mix dialogues, recorded audio, and flashcards.
- Devanagari is taught a little at a time.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Hindi Letters
MobileWeb
LingoDeer
LingoDeer teaches Hindi in units like ordering curry and asking where things are, with grammar tips along the way. Pick it if you like to know the rule before you practice it.
- Beginner 1 opens with a unit on the alphabet.
- Hindi speakers recorded all of the course audio.
- Teaches Hindi Letters (partly)
MobileWeb
Mango Languages
Mango teaches Hindi through short conversations, with notes on manners and gestures beside them. Many public libraries offer it, so check yours first.
- Lessons are built around everyday conversations.
- Grammar notes and color-coding show how Hindi sentences are built.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
HindiPod101
HindiPod101 teaches Hindi through audio and video lessons. In each one, a teacher plays a short dialogue and then explains the words in it.
- Lessons are built around short Hindi dialogues.
- Its alphabet page has letter tables and a free eBook.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Hindi Letters
MobileWeb
Pimsleur
Pimsleur's Hindi course is mostly listening and talking. You're asked how to say something, you try it in Hindi, and then a speaker says it the right way. You can do it while you walk or drive.
- Each lesson is about half an hour of audio.
- You speak Hindi out loud in every lesson.
MobileWeb
Drops
Drops teaches Hindi words through quick picture games, one topic at a time, like food or travel. Open it when you have a few spare minutes, then look for the same words in what you read.
- Learn Hindi words with pictures and audio.
- Its games also teach you to read Hindi letters.
- Teaches Hindi Letters
Mobile
Hindwi Dictionary
The Hindwi Dictionary comes from the Rekhta Foundation. Besides Hindi, it covers words from related languages like Awadhi, Bhojpuri, and Maithili. It helps when you hear a word in a song or a film and want to check it.
- Search in Hindi letters or in Latin letters.
- Hear each word, and see where it comes from.
- Type an English word to find the Hindi word for it.
- Doesn't teach Hindi Letters
MobileWeb
Preply
On Preply you choose a Hindi tutor by price and by the hours they're free, then meet over video. Plan each lesson around a real talk coming up, like a call with your partner's parents.
- Pick from hundreds of tutors who teach Hindi online.
- Practice the talks you're nervous about and get feedback.
MobileWeb
italki
italki has Hindi teachers who teach online. Tell your teacher why you're learning, such as talking with family in Delhi, so they can plan around it.
- Book one-to-one Hindi lessons over video.
- Each teacher sets their own schedule.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
HelloTalk works like a chat app where each person helps the other. Write a few lines about your day in Hindi, and ask your partner to fix them.
- Message Hindi speakers who want to learn your language.
- Tools help you correct and translate each other's messages.
- It can take a few tries to find a partner who matches your interests and time.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (12)
- Rosetta StoneHindi lessons that introduce the Devanagari letters, core words, and greetings, with tools that check how you sound.
- MemriseLearn Hindi phrases from clips of people saying them, and practice them with an AI chat partner.
- MondlyGame-like Hindi lessons on everyday topics.
- uTalkHindi words and phrases by topic, recorded by Hindi speakers. You can record yourself to hear the difference.
- LingQHindi stories where you tap a word to see what it means and save it. Hindi is a beta language on LingQ.
- ClozemasterFill in the missing word in Hindi sentences, once you can read the letters.
- 50LANGUAGESShort Hindi phrases with audio, for your first months.
- Learn Hindi (Beginners)An offline course from BNR Languages that starts with the alphabet, then moves on to words and listening.
- Hindi 101 - Learn to WriteTrace each Hindi letter and number, then write it on your own and get feedback.
- BholConversation lessons for people who grew up hearing Hindi, written only in Latin letters.
- TandemMeet Hindi speakers for a language exchange by text or video.
- AnkiMake your own Hindi flashcards, or download decks other learners have made.
A Door Into Hindi, from UNC Chapel Hill, is a free online course of 24 lessons, about two semesters of college Hindi. Most lessons have a short film with subtitles, and its Devanagari module walks you through the letters and their sounds.
Once you can sound out words, StoryWeaver has thousands of free Hindi picture books sorted by reading level, and some of them have audio. Save BBC News Hindi for later, when short stories feel easy.
| App | Free? | What's Free |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Free version | 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. |
| Duolingo | Free | Every Duolingo course is free. Super Duolingo removes ads and adds extras such as Unlimited Energy, and you can try it free for 14 days. |
| Ling | Some lessons free | The first two beginner units are free in every language. Ling Pro opens all the lessons, and the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. |
| LingoDeer | Some lessons free | The alphabet lessons, all of Unit One and the Travel Phrasebook are free in every course. Most other lessons need LingoDeer Premium. |
| Mango Languages | Some lessons free | The first lesson of every language is free, and many public libraries give their members full access at no cost. The paid plans start with a free trial. |
| HindiPod101 | Free version | A free HindiPod101 account gives you a survival phrases course and the first 3 lessons of every pathway, with new lessons each week. Paid plans open every lesson, and Premium starts with a 7-day free trial. |
| Pimsleur | Free trial | You can try Pimsleur free for 7 days. After that, you pay for one language or for all of them. |
| Drops | Free version | The free version lets you learn for five minutes every 10 hours. Drops Premium gives you unlimited time and all the content, and the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. |
| Hindwi Dictionary | Free | The Hindwi Dictionary app is free to download and use. |
| Preply | Paid | You pay for each lesson, and each tutor sets their own price. If your first tutor isn't a good fit, you can try two more for free. |
| italki | Paid | You pay for each lesson, and each teacher sets their own price. Practicing with the community and taking the level test are free. |
| HelloTalk | Free version | Chatting with language partners is free. HelloTalk VIP removes ads and adds unlimited translations and more new partners each day. |
| Rosetta Stone Sapphire | Some lessons free | Your first Rosetta Stone lesson is free, and the Sapphire app lets you try 7 days for free. After that, you need a membership. |
| Memrise | Free version | The Free Plan includes the official courses and video clips of real people. Memrise Pro adds every learning feature and removes ads. |
| Mondly | Free version | Mondly gives you free lessons every day. A subscription opens all of its courses and features. |
| uTalk | Some lessons free | Every language has free starter words, and getting full marks in the games opens one more topic for free. For the rest, you subscribe or buy a language or topic. |
| LingQ | Free version | A free account lets you save up to 20 words and phrases and import 5 lessons of your own. LingQ Premium removes both limits. |
| Clozemaster | Free version | Clozemaster is free to sign up and play. Clozemaster Pro lets you play as much as you want. |
| 50LANGUAGES | Some lessons free | The single-language apps give you 30 of their 100 lessons for free, and you pay inside the app for the rest. |
| Learn Hindi (Beginners) | Free | All of its content is free. |
| Hindi 101 - Learn to Write | Some lessons free | You can try some of it free, and a one-time purchase opens the rest. |
| Bhol | Not stated | It is free to download and sells in-app purchases. |
| Tandem | Free version | Signing up is free, and Tandem reviews each new member first. Many features are free, and Tandem Pro gives you all of them. |
| Anki | Free | Anki on computers, AnkiWeb and AnkiDroid for Android are all free. The official iPhone app, AnkiMobile, costs money and helps fund Anki. |
The number of languages you can use an app in isn't the same as the languages its Hindi lessons explain things in, so check one lesson in your language before you pay.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Supported language pairs |
| Duolingo | 33 | App Store |
| Ling | 68 | App Store |
| LingoDeer | 15 | App Store |
| Mango | 2 | App Store |
| HindiPod101 | 1 | App Store |
| Pimsleur | 3 | App Store |
| Drops | 16 | App Store |
| Hindwi Dictionary | 1 | App Store |
| Preply | 19 | App Store |
| italki | 19 | App Store |
| HelloTalk | 16 | App Store |
| Rosetta Stone | 6 | Full list |
| Memrise | 22 | Full list |
| Mondly | 32 | Full list |
| uTalk | 140+ | Full list |
| LingQ | 17 | Full list |
| Clozemaster | 37 | Full list |
| 50LANGUAGES | 58 | Full list |
| Learn Hindi (Beginners) | 46 | Full list |
| Hindi 101 - Learn to Write | 1 | Full list |
| Bhol | 1 | Full list |
| Tandem | 14 | Full list |
| Anki | 25 | Full list |
Which Hindi app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Hindi, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Duolingo if you want free lessons on the letters, or with Pimsleur if you'd like to begin by listening and speaking. For a weekly plan that adds a tutor and free picture books, read the best way to learn Hindi.
Does Duolingo teach Hindi?
Yes. Duolingo has a free Hindi course for English speakers, and its character lessons show you the Hindi letters and the sounds they make. Its lessons are quick and bite-sized, so add longer Hindi to read and hear, or a tutor.
Do I need to learn Hindi letters first?
Learn them if you want to read signs, newspapers, and books, because those are written in Devanagari. Many people text Hindi in Latin letters, though, so if you mostly want to talk with family and friends, you can start that way. Bubblegum lets you read lessons either way, and its Hindi Letters course starts with your first letters whenever you're ready.
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
- Constitution of India, Article 343: Official language of the Union
- Census of India 2011, Language (Paper 1 of 2018), Statement 4: speakers of scheduled languages
- University of Minnesota: Hindi and Urdu share their grammar and basic vocabulary
- Bubblegum: Hindi and the Hindi Letters course
- Duolingo: Learn Hindi
- Duolingo: How Duolingo teaches other writing systems, including Hindi
- Ling: Learn Hindi (FAQ: the course breaks down Devanagari)
- Ling: pricing
- LingoDeer: Learn Hindi (grammar tips and audio recorded by Hindi speakers)
- LingoDeer: Hindi Beginner 1, starting with an Alphabet unit
- Mango Languages: Hindi
- Mango Languages: pricing
- HindiPod101: the app
- HindiPod101: the Hindi alphabet
- Pimsleur: Learn Hindi
- Drops: Learn Hindi
- Drops on the App Store (learn to read the Hindi script)
- Hindwi Dictionary on the App Store
- Hindwi Dictionary: website
- Preply: Hindi tutors
- italki: Hindi teachers
- HelloTalk: Find Hindi language partners
- Rosetta Stone: Learn Hindi
- Memrise: Learn Hindi
- Mondly: languages
- uTalk: Hindi
- LingQ: Learn Hindi online (Beta)
- Clozemaster: Learn Hindi online
- 50LANGUAGES: Learn Hindi on Google Play
- Learn Hindi (Beginners) on the App Store
- Hindi 101 - Learn to Write on the App Store
- Bhol on the App Store
- Tandem: supported languages
- Anki: Flashcard app
- UNC Chapel Hill: A Door Into Hindi
- UNC Chapel Hill: A Door Into Hindi, the Devanagari writing system
- StoryWeaver: Hindi picture books
- BBC News Hindi
- Duolingo: iPhone App Store listing (short lessons; languages you can use it in)
- Ling: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- LingoDeer: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Mango: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- HindiPod101: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Pimsleur: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Drops: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Preply: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- italki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- HelloTalk: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Rosetta Stone Sapphire: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Memrise: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Mondly: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- uTalk: Languages you can learn from
- LingQ: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Clozemaster: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- 50LANGUAGES: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Tandem: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Anki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Ling: what's free
- LingoDeer: what's free
- Mango: free through libraries
- HindiPod101: what's free
- Drops: what's free
- Drops: what the paid plan adds
- italki: what's free
- HelloTalk: what's free
- HelloTalk: what the paid plan adds
- Rosetta Stone Sapphire: what the paid plan adds
- Mondly: what's free
- uTalk: what's free
- LingQ: what's free
- Clozemaster: what's free
- Clozemaster: what the paid plan adds
- Tandem: what's free
