The easiest way to learn Maithili is to take the letters first, and then ask for a lesson about something you plan to do this week, like greeting a relative. Bubblegum's Maithili Letters course teaches the letters, you can read your lessons in Roman letters while you learn them, and Poppy, your AI tutor, writes the lesson around what you ask, at your level.
| What You Need | How Bubblegum Helps |
|---|---|
| Maithili at your level | Poppy writes each lesson for the level you pick, from sounding out words up to long texts. |
| A topic you care about | Ask for a lesson about a family dinner or a trip to Janakpur. |
| 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 form or a contract, ask a tutor or a Maithili-speaking friend first.
- Letters You May KnowMaithili is written in Devanagari today. If you can already read Hindi or Nepali, the letters will look familiar.
- A Roman Letter PathYou can read your Bubblegum lessons in Roman letters while you learn the Maithili letters, so you can start with the words.
- Picture Books With EnglishStoryWeaver has 106 free Maithili books, and 18 are Level 1. One of them, "I Can Climb!", shows Maithili and English together.
Your first word can be प्रणाम (a respectful hello). Play a recording, repeat it, and then say it to a real person.
Give your first sessions to the letters. After that, each session can cover one short exchange in twenty to thirty minutes. The fastest way to learn Maithili shows how to split a study hour.
- Start With the LettersWork through Bubblegum's Maithili Letters course, and say each sound aloud as it appears.
- Listen FirstPlay the first chapter of Maithili 101 on YouTube, and say the words you hear back to the video.
- Choose What You Will SayThink of one thing you will say this week, like greeting a relative and asking how they are.
- Read a Short LessonTell Poppy you are new to Maithili, and ask for a few lines on that situation. Follow each word with your eyes while the recording plays.
- Save the Key WordSave the one word you expect to need most. It returns in a later lesson.
- Try It on SomeoneSay your greeting aloud, then try it on a friend or tutor, who may answer with a different word.
End each session by choosing the next topic, so the following one starts with reading.
| What Feels Hard | The Easy Fix |
|---|---|
| Pronouns and verbs show politeness | अहाँ is the respectful word for you. Listen for which word people use with elders, and use that one. |
| Many words look like Hindi | Check each new word in a Maithili lesson before you assume it matches the Hindi word. |
| Few materials are made for learners | 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. |
| Almost every word is new | Read a StoryWeaver Level 1 picture book, where the pictures show the story. |
| The audio goes too fast | Read what the line means first, then play only that line again. |
Begin with Maithili made for learners, and save real news for later.
| What | Why It's Easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| A Bubblegum lesson about your week | You choose the topic, and Poppy writes it at your level. | Bubblegum |
| A picture book | The pictures show the story, and 18 of the 106 Maithili books are StoryWeaver Level 1. | StoryWeaver |
| Beginner videos | A video series that starts with pronunciation and everyday words. | Maithili 101 |
| A free online course | Lessons with Hindi and Maithili lines side by side, plus quizzes. | MithilaDwaar |
| A patient tutor | A tutor can slow down, repeat a line and wait while you think. | italki, or a Maithili-speaking friend |
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Maithili. You learn from Maithili 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.
- Read in Maithili letters, or switch to Roman letters while you learn them.
- Tap a word to see what it means, or ask Poppy to explain a whole line.
- The Maithili Letters course teaches the letters with a picture and a sound for each.
- 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 Maithili books 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™
Mobile
Do I Need to Learn the Letters First?
Yes, to read signs, messages and books, which use Devanagari. Bubblegum's Maithili Letters course teaches the letters with a picture and a sound for each, and Roman letters let you start on lessons while you learn them.
Should I Learn a List of Common Maithili Words First?
No. Learn each word inside a short line you read and hear, then save the line for review, such as a line asking for पानि (water).
Which Maithili App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Maithili, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. For picture books and beginner videos, try StoryWeaver and Maithili 101. More choices are in our comparison of Maithili 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
- Bubblegum: Learn Maithili
- Wiktionary: अहाँ (the respectful word for you)
- Yadava, Bond, Nikolaeva and Ritchie (2019): The syntax of possessor prominence in Maithili (Maithili pronouns and verbs mark four levels of politeness)
- StoryWeaver: Maithili books (106 free picture books and stories)
- StoryWeaver: books-search for Maithili (levels of each book)
- This is Mithila: Maithili 101, Chapter 1 Part 1 (YouTube)
- MithilaDwaar: Learn Maithili (14 units, 70 lessons, free)
- italki: Maithili teachers
