DuolingoDuolingo doesn't teach Nepali.
Nepali is the language of official business in Nepal, and 44.9 percent of people there said it was their mother tongue in the 2021 census. It is written in Devanagari. Tutors, language partners and more free materials are in our best apps to learn Nepali.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Nepali. You learn from Nepali you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Nepali lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- 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.
- The Nepali Letters course teaches the Devanagari letters with pictures and sounds, and you can read in Roman letters while you learn them.
- 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.
- Learn every letter and its sound in the free Nepali Letters course.
- You can't turn your own Nepali 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™
- Teaches the Devanagari Alphabet
Mobile
Ling
Ling teaches Nepali in short lessons. They start with sounds, essential words and greetings, and then move on to conversations.
- Short lessons with audio and game-style practice.
- A dialog feature for practicing conversations, and flashcards for new words.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
uTalk
uTalk teaches Nepali words and phrases for talking with people and getting around on a trip. You can record yourself and compare it with the original.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases, sorted by topics like Family, Restaurant and Transport, all recorded by Nepali speakers.
- Memory games, and reviews that focus on the words you find hardest.
MobileWeb
| App | How You Can Start Free |
|---|---|
| Ling | The first two beginner units are free. |
| uTalk | A free starter topic is open to everyone. |
Which Nepali app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Nepali, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with the free lessons on Nepalgo, which cover the script, grammar and vocabulary, or with Ling if you want short lessons with audio.
Do I need to learn the Devanagari letters first?
Yes, if you want to read signs, menus and the news. Nepalgo counts 33 consonants and 12 vowels in the script. Bubblegum's Nepali Letters course teaches them with pictures and sounds, and you can read in Roman letters while you learn them.
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
- Duolingo: course list
- Constitution of Nepal, Article 7: Nepali written in Devanagari is the language of official business
- Trends in Nepal's Linguistic Demography: Insights from the 2021 Census (Nepali was the mother tongue of 44.9 percent; 124 languages)
- Nepalgo: the Nepali script (33 consonants and 12 vowels)
- Ling: Learn Nepali
- Ling: what's free
- uTalk: Learn Nepali
- uTalk: what's free
- Nepalgo: free Nepali lessons
- Bubblegum
