Javanese has more than 80 million speakers, the largest number of native speakers in Indonesia. It is spoken mainly in Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java. It is a different language from Indonesian, and many well-known language apps do not offer it, so your choices come from a mix of course apps, tutors, and apps made in Indonesia.
Here are the apps and services that teach Javanese, 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 Javanese 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 Javanese to read about music, food, family, and other things you care about.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum does not replace real Javanese voices. For recorded speakers, uTalk and Mango are the better fit, and for conversation, try the apps in Learn With People.
- Read Javanese lessons for free.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Javanese 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 Javanese speakers.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- The free plan includes one new custom lesson each day.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Follow a Javanese Course
If you want someone to choose what comes next, start here. These apps give you an ordered path through Javanese words and sentences.
Ling
Ling added a Javanese course in September 2025. Its lessons use voices from Javanese speakers, and the voice games help you practice saying new words aloud.
- Short games, flashcards, and fill-in-the-blank exercises.
- Voice games and a Dialog feature for speaking practice.
- Flashcards
Mobile
Memrise
Memrise has Javanese word lists made by other learners. One teaches krama and ngoko side by side, and another teaches the Javanese script. Preview a list before you start to see what it covers.
- Word lists made by other learners, such as Basa Jawa Krama & Ngoko and Javanese Script (Aksara Jawa).
- The lists work inside the Memrise app, with short sessions and spaced review.
MobileWeb
Mango Languages
Mango Languages teaches Javanese through everyday conversations, and its notes add a little about Javanese culture. Many public libraries give free access with a library card, so check yours first.
- Conversations with audio from Javanese speakers.
- Grammar notes and culture notes that explain what you hear.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Build Vocabulary
uTalk
uTalk teaches Javanese through short lessons with audio and memory games. It works on phones and computers, and you can use it offline.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases.
- Audio recorded by real Javanese speakers.
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 with English in return.
italki
italki lists 8 Javanese tutors, and each profile says what that tutor teaches. One offers casual Javanese along with formal grammar.
- Choose a Javanese tutor and book lessons around your schedule.
- Get feedback while you speak.
MobileWeb
Tandem
Tandem lists Javanese among its languages and has language-exchange pages for Surabaya and Yogyakarta. 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
Learn Javanese Speech Levels
Javanese uses different words depending on who you are talking to. Ngoko is the casual level for friends, family, and people younger than you. Krama is the polite level for elders, strangers, and people you want to respect, and krama inggil is the most respectful form of it.
Several apps made in Indonesia put the levels in their lessons. Adibasa teaches krama and krama alus through game levels, PBJ Komplit covers vocabulary from ngoko to krama inggil, and Secil is a children's game for ngoko, krama inggil, and krama alus. Kamus Bahasa Jawa shows each word in ngoko, krama madya, and krama inggil. All four are listed under Other Apps We Looked At, and the tutors above can help you practice the levels out loud.
Read and Study Javanese
Panjebar Semangat, a Javanese-language magazine from Surabaya, has been printed since 1933 and gives you everyday Javanese to read. If you want a class, the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has offered Javanese in an eight-week summer program, taught live online in recent years.
Learn Javanese 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 |
| Memrise | 22 | Full list |
| Mango Languages | 2 | Full list |
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Tandem | 14 | Full list |
Other Apps We Looked At (12)
- PBJ Komplit Bahasa JawaShort for Pepak Basa Jawa Komplit. It has lessons on vocabulary, grammar, manners, and culture, plus an AI tutor named Joko that runs on your device and works offline. It is new and growing.
- AdibasaA game-style course on Google Play with points, rewards, and mini games, made by IT PENS and AgileTeknik. It is new and growing.
- Secil Belajar Bahasa JawaA children's game with pictures and sound, with a learning mode and a play mode.
- Kamus Bahasa JawaA complete Indonesian-Javanese dictionary that translates both ways and works offline.
- AksarayaTeaches the Javanese script, Hanacaraka, with letter shapes, meanings, and writing and typing practice.
- Learn Javanese (Ghumman Tech)A beginner app with audio, bookmarks, and a quiz mode.
- Learn Javanese For BeginnersLessons on the Javanese alphabet, greetings, pronouns, and questions, with audio. It works offline and needs no account.
- Javanese PhrasebookEveryday phrases with Javanese translations and pronunciation, based on modules from the U.S. Defense Language Institute.
- Javanese - Listening SpeakingConversation lessons with audio from Javanese speakers and a structured curriculum, on Google Play.
- PreplySome Preply tutors teach Javanese, and one profile lists casual ngoko, formal krama, and the Javanese script. Preply has no separate Javanese category, so search its tutor list for Javanese.
- TalkpalAn AI tutor that chats with you in writing or speech and gives feedback on your pronunciation. Javanese is one of its many languages.
- HelloTalkHas language-exchange pages for Javanese and for Javanese with Indonesian, so you can look for partners who speak Javanese.
Common Questions
Which Javanese app should a beginner choose?
Start with Ling if you want a ready-made course, and add uTalk to hear Javanese speakers say common words and phrases. A tutor can help you practice speaking politely with krama. Bubblegum suits learners who want lessons around their own interests. Javanese is written in the Latin alphabet today, so you do not need to learn a new script first. The older Javanese script, Aksara Jawa, is now used mostly for study and on some signs.
Can I learn Javanese for free?
Yes. Memrise's learner-made Javanese word lists are free to study. PBJ Komplit and Learn Javanese For Beginners are listed as free on the App Store, and Wikipédia basa Jawa is free to read in Javanese. 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
- Universitas Gadjah Mada: Number of Javanese Speakers Surpasses 80 Million Amid Preservation Challenges
- Wikipedia: Javanese language
- uTalk: Learn Javanese
- uTalk: Our Javanese Love Letter
- Do Language Models Understand Honorific Systems in Javanese? (arXiv)
- Ling: Is Javanese a Hard Language to Learn?
- Talkpal: What Is Krama Inggil and When Should It Be Used?
- Memrise: Learn Javanese with Memrise
- Tirto: Majalah Panjebar Semangat, Hampir Seabad dan Tetap Eksis
- SEASSI: Program Information (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
- Wikipédia basa Jawa
- Bubblegum
- Ling
- Mango Languages
- italki
- Tandem
Checked on October 4, 2026 against each app's own pages.
