Duolingo teaches Chinese (Simplified) from 28 languages. Its list, as of October 15, 2026, names no course for Lanzhou speech. Duolingo's blog post about its Chinese says the course teaches Mandarin.
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu, on the Yellow River, and its own speech is a kind of Mandarin also heard in nearby Baiyin. In Lanzhou, 尕 means "small", so a little kid is a 尕娃, and 那 can mean "he" or "she". Our Lanzhou dialect app comparison covers more apps and local media.
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Lanzhou dialect. You learn from Lanzhou dialect you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes each Lanzhou lesson at the level you choose, on a topic you pick. Ask for a bowl of beef noodles before work, and the cook and customers speak the way people in Lanzhou do. If an ending like 唦 confuses you, ask Poppy what it adds.
For conversations with real people from Lanzhou, use the apps further down.
- Lanzhou speech is one of Bubblegum's journeys, with six levels of lessons in Simplified characters.
- Grammar cards explain Lanzhou's 把 sentences, such as 把酒喝上 for “drink up”.
- There are stories and news in Lanzhou speech as well.
- Regenerative Review™ brings each word you save back in a later Lanzhou lesson.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You can't add your own articles or books.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Lanzhou speech
- Teaches Pinyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Duolingo for Mandarin Basics
Duolingo
Duolingo is a good fit for learning your first characters. After that, Lanzhou lessons and people from the city teach you the local words.
- Its Mandarin course uses Simplified characters.
- Duolingo says every course is free.
- Standard Mandarin, not Lanzhou speech
MobileWeb
Find Someone From Lanzhou
italki
When you message a tutor, ask where they grew up. Someone from Gansu can switch between Lanzhou speech and Standard Mandarin for you.
- Choose a Chinese tutor and take a private video lesson.
- Three trial classes are under $5 each.
MobileWeb
Tandem
Tandem has a page for learning Chinese in Lanzhou, where you can start looking for a partner.
- Use voice notes and video calls with a partner.
- Partners correct mistakes in your messages.
MobileWeb
How to Start With Each App
| App | How You Can Start |
|---|---|
| Duolingo | The course is free, and you can test Super Duolingo free for 14 days. |
| italki | Joining costs nothing, and you pay for each lesson after that. |
| Tandem | Starting is free, and Tandem Pro costs extra if you want more features. |
Common Questions
Which Lanzhou dialect app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Lanzhou dialect, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or learn your first Mandarin words on Duolingo, and book a tutor from Gansu on italki once you're ready to talk.
Is the Lanzhou dialect the same as the Gansu dialect?
Lanzhou speech is one kind of Gansu speech. It belongs to Lan–Yin Mandarin, a branch of Mandarin spoken across Gansu and northern Ningxia, and Lanzhou is one of its main local forms. Bubblegum's Gansu journey teaches the speech of Lanzhou.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Duolingo: course list (read October 15, 2026)
- Duolingo: Chinese (Simplified) course for English speakers
- Duolingo Blog: What Kind of Chinese Does Duolingo Teach?
- Duolingo: current iPhone listing
- Wikipedia: Lanzhou (capital and largest city of Gansu)
- 兰州话 (Chinese Wikipedia): Lanyin Mandarin, spoken in Lanzhou and Baiyin District
- Wikipedia: Lan–Yin Mandarin (spoken across Gansu and northern Ningxia; Lanzhou is a principal subdialect)
- italki: Chinese teachers
- italki: current iPhone listing (three trial classes for less than $5 each)
- Tandem: Learn Chinese in Lanzhou
- Tandem: current iPhone listing
- Bubblegum
- Duolingo
- Tandem
Checked on October 15, 2026 against each app's own pages.
