| Your goal | Start with |
|---|---|
| Say hello to Macedonian relatives | Latin letters |
| Drive around North Macedonia and follow the road signs | Latin letters |
| Read Macedonian news sites | Cyrillic |
| Sit a Macedonian class or exam | Cyrillic |
| Read an official form or contract | Cyrillic |
| About Cyrillic | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| 31 letters, one sound each | Words are spelled close to how they sound, so knowing the letters is enough to say most new words. |
| А, Е, К, М, О and Т are shaped like English letters and sound close to them | You can read мама (mom) and тато (dad) on day one. |
| В, Н, Р and С look like English B, H, P and C and sound like v, n, r and s | Chapter 2 of the Cyrillic course is built around these four. |
| Cyrillic is the official alphabet | Official documents use it. |
| Latin letters | Cyrillic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| zdravo | здраво | Hello |
| blagodaram | благодарам | Thank you |
| chaj | чај | Tea |
| zhena | жена | Woman |
| kukja | куќа | House |
Most letters match one Latin letter. Nine need two, like ч for ch, ш for sh, ж for zh and ќ for kj. North Macedonia's passports use this spelling, and some people type a spelling like it when a keyboard has no Cyrillic. Road signs usually show both alphabets.
Bubblegum is a language app where Poppy, your AI tutor, writes your Macedonian lessons. Choose Latin letters when you start or in Reader Settings, and you can open the Macedonian Cyrillic course from your home screen when you want the letters.
| In Latin letters you can | With Cyrillic you can also |
|---|---|
| Read your Macedonian lessons, stories and news | Read Macedonian news sites and books |
| Type your questions to Poppy | Read a friend's text that comes in Cyrillic |
| Look up a word by typing kukja | Read an official form |
| Follow the Latin line on a road sign | Read the Cyrillic line beside it |
| App | Cyrillic |
|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Macedonian lessons show in Latin letters or in Cyrillic, and Reader Settings switches between them. The Macedonian Cyrillic course has 8 chapters, from А, Е, К, М, О and Т to ѓ and ќ. |
| Ling | Every word is in Cyrillic, and you can turn a Latin transcription on and off. |
| uTalk | Lessons put speaking and listening first, before the new alphabet. |
| Macedonian Language E-Learning Center | The beginner course has a tutorial on the Macedonian alphabet, followed by alphabet practice. |
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Macedonian. You learn from Macedonian you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- The Macedonian Cyrillic course teaches all 31 letters, like Ѓ, Ќ, and Ѕ, from the first letter.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Macedonian about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Saved words come back in new lessons through Regenerative Review™, and you can send them to Anki too.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You can't turn Macedonian books you own into lessons. However, you can take a photo of a page, and Poppy will explain what it says.
- 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 Cyrillic
Mobile
What if My Friends Type Čaj?
Some people type the Serbian and Croatian letters their keyboard has, like čaj and žena. Poppy reads that spelling too, and Bubblegum lists it under other spellings in Reader Settings.
Can I Learn the Cyrillic Letters Later?
Yes. The Macedonian Cyrillic course has 8 chapters. Chapter 1, Letters You Already Know, teaches А, Е, К, М, О and Т and ends with six words, like мама and тато.
Which Macedonian App Should a Beginner Choose?
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
- Romanization of Macedonian (English Wikipedia): informal writing where Cyrillic is not easily available; since 2008 passports, ID cards and driver's licenses use the ch, sh, zh spelling; road signs show romanization
- Macedonian alphabet (English Wikipedia): 31 letters, a one-to-one match between letters and distinctive sounds, and the IPA value of each letter
- Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Македонски со мака (beginner textbook: 31 Cyrillic letters, spelling that follows the sounds with some exceptions)
- Constitution of North Macedonia, Article 7: the Macedonian language, written using its Cyrillic alphabet, is the official language
- Ling: Macedonian (every word in Cyrillic with a Latin transcription you can turn on and off)
- uTalk: Learn Macedonian (speaking and listening skills first; street signs usually show both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets)
- Macedonian Language E-Learning Center (the beginner course opens with a Macedonian alphabet tutorial and alphabet practice)
- Bubblegum: Macedonian Cyrillic course, chapter 1 (Letters You Already Know)
