The easiest way to learn Esperanto is to read lessons made for your level and look up what stops you right on the page. With Bubblegum, you tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and a topic you like, and she writes an Esperanto lesson for you.
- Esperanto at your level. Poppy writes each lesson for the level you pick, from first words up to long texts.
- A topic you care about. Ask for a lesson about a message to a friend abroad or a trip to a congress.
- How each word sounds. Each lesson comes with AI audio that plays while you read.
- Help with a line you can't follow. Tap a word to see what it means, or ask Poppy to explain the line.
- Words that stay. Saved words come back in later lessons through Regenerative Review™.
Poppy sometimes gets things wrong. For something important, like a letter you will send, ask a tutor or an Esperanto-speaking friend to check it. Add a tutor or a pen friend when you want to practice with another person.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Esperanto. You learn from Esperanto you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- Poppy writes each lesson for your level, on topics you pick.
- Each lesson plays AI audio while you read.
- Tap a word to see what it means, or ask Poppy to explain a whole line.
- Grammar topics explain how Esperanto works, such as the -n on a direct object.
- 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.
- You can't turn your own Esperanto books or articles into lessons. However, you can paste a page in the chat, and Poppy will explain it.
- Bubblegum has no practice tests for the Esperanto language exams.
- 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™
Mobile
Esperanto's endings follow set patterns and its nouns have no gender, so those usual hurdles are gone. It still takes practice, mostly to learn words and to read their parts. To see how many hours it takes, read how long it takes to learn Esperanto.
- One Sound for Each LetterThe alphabet has 28 letters, and each letter has one sound. Six of them carry a mark: ĉ, ĝ, ĥ, ĵ, ŝ and ŭ. The lesson audio lets you hear them.
- Stress Always Falls the Same WayThe stress is on the second-to-last vowel, as in <W lang="eo">amiko</W> (friend). You never need to look up where to put it.
- Words Built From PartsPut <W lang="eo">mal-</W> in front of a word to flip its meaning: <W lang="eo">granda</W> (big) becomes <W lang="eo">malgranda</W> (small).
- Start With GreetingsBegin with lines you can use right away, like <W lang="eo">Saluton</W> (hello) and <W lang="eo">Dankon</W> (thank you).
- Ask for a Lesson About Your InterestsTell Poppy your level and a topic you care about. She writes a lesson so you can begin reading and listening.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's sound and spelling go together.
- Get Help While You ReadLook up a word or check the translation when a line stops you. Ask Poppy about grammar in the same lesson.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep. When a word has a prefix, save it with the plain word beside it, such as <W lang="eo">bona</W> and <W lang="eo">malbona</W>.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like a greeting you plan to write to a new friend. When you want a real reply, add a tutor or a pen friend.
Set aside 3-5 hours a week in sessions of 15-30 minutes or longer. Choose longer texts when you can follow more.
| What Feels Hard | The Easy Fix |
|---|---|
| The -n on a direct object | A direct object takes -n, as in Mi legas libron (I read a book). Look for the thing being read, seen or bought, and check that it ends in -n. |
| Endings that show the kind of word | A noun ends in -o, an adjective in -a and an adverb in -e, as in bona (good) and bone (well). Look at the last letter and you know how a word works. |
| So many new words | Words are built from parts, so each part you learn gives you more words. Pick a topic you know well in English and ask Poppy for a lesson on it, so each new word has something to attach to. |
| The audio goes too fast | Read what the line means first, then play only that line again. |
| People speak Esperanto with different accents | Esperanto speakers come from many countries, so you will hear many accents. Listen to slow, clear lesson audio first, then to Muzaiko. |
Choose short, clear Esperanto about something you enjoy. Esperanto you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input.
| What | Why It's Easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| A Bubblegum lesson about your week | You choose the topic, and Poppy writes it at your level. | Bubblegum |
| Lernu | Free interactive lessons with exercises and sounds, made for Esperanto only. | lernu.net |
| 50LANGUAGES | One hundred short lessons with MP3 audio start from the very first words. | goethe-verlag.com |
| Complete Esperanto | A textbook with 18 units and free audio. | Hachette |
| A patient tutor | A tutor can slow down, repeat a line and wait while you think. | italki |
If you can't tell what's happening, pick something easier.
Should I Learn the Most Common 500 Words First?
No. Learn each word inside a short line. Read and hear the line, then save it for review.
Do I Need to Learn the Six Marked Letters First?
No. Each one has a single sound, and you will meet them as words come up. Play the audio as you read each one, and the sound sticks.
Is Esperanto Pronunciation Hard?
Hear a line in the lesson before you say it. Each letter has one sound, and the stress is always on the second-to-last vowel. A few sounds may be new, such as the ĥ in ĥoro (choir), so say it slowly after a recording.
Can I Learn Esperanto Just by Reading About It?
Not at the start. You learn faster when you read and hear Esperanto you can follow, and say a few lines out loud. A pen friend or a host from Pasporta Servo can give you real practice later.
Which Esperanto App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Esperanto, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses and tools, see our comparison of Esperanto apps.
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: Esperanto (28 letters, six with marks, stress on the second-to-last vowel)
- Lernu: free Esperanto lessons
- Lernu: the Esperanto course
- Duolingo: Esperanto for English speakers
- 50LANGUAGES: English to Esperanto lessons and MP3 audio
- Complete Esperanto by Tim Owen (Hachette UK, Teach Yourself)
- italki: Esperanto teachers
- Pasporta Servo: free host list for Esperanto speakers (since 1974)
