RosettaRosetta Stone doesn't teach Sanskrit. It does teach Latin, another classical language, and Hindi, which is written in the same Devanagari script. Is Sanskrit on Duolingo? looks at Duolingo, and Is Sanskrit on Babbel? looks at Babbel.
India's constitution recognizes 22 languages in its Eighth Schedule, and Sanskrit is among them. People learn it to read the Gita, the Upanishads, yoga texts, classical poetry and plays. It is written in Devanagari, though textbooks also print it in Roman letters with marks. Free reading tools and more tutor sites are in our best apps to learn Sanskrit.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Sanskrit. You learn from Sanskrit you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Sanskrit 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 around your goal, such as school stories, yoga and chanting, scripture, or a short spoken exchange.
- 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 Sanskrit Letters course teaches the Devanagari letters with pictures and sounds. You can read lessons in Roman letters with marks 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 Sanskrit Letters course.
- In the early levels, lessons keep each word apart. Real texts join the sounds of neighboring words, which is called sandhi, so Poppy introduces it level by level.
- You can't turn your own Sanskrit 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
uTalk
uTalk teaches Sanskrit words and phrases for everyday situations, from greetings to food and travel.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases across 60+ topics.
- You can practice speaking and compare your pronunciation.
MobileWeb
Samskrita Bharati runs spoken Samskrit classes for beginners. It offers a free class of 2 hours a day for 10 days, held in your locality, plus a correspondence course in four levels and an Android app.
italki
italki has Sanskrit teachers, and each profile says what the teacher covers, so you can read it before you book.
- Pick a Sanskrit teacher and book a one-on-one lesson.
- You pay as you go, so you book when it suits you.
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| Option | How You Can Start Free |
|---|---|
| uTalk | A free starter topic is open to everyone. |
| Samskrita Bharati | A free beginner class runs for 10 days. |
| italki | You pay for each lesson, and each teacher sets the price. |
Which Sanskrit app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Sanskrit, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or join a free spoken class from Samskrita Bharati, or book a tutor on italki.
Do I need to learn Devanagari first?
Yes, if you want to read the Gita or any printed Sanskrit text. Bubblegum's Sanskrit Letters course teaches the letters, and you can read your lessons in Roman letters with marks 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
- Rosetta Stone: home page (language links)
- Rosetta Stone Sapphire: App Store listing (25 languages)
- Rosetta Stone Support: Unlimited Languages (the 25 languages)
- Rosetta Stone: Learn Hindi (Devanagari script, core vocabulary, essential phrases)
- Rosetta Stone: Learn Latin (Classical Latin)
- Wikipedia: Sanskrit (one of the 22 scheduled languages of India; second official language of Uttarakhand since 2010)
- Wikipedia: Sanskrit grammar (sandhi joins the sounds of neighboring words)
- uTalk: Learn Sanskrit
- uTalk: what's free
- Samskrita Bharati: spoken Samskrit classes, correspondence course and Android app
- italki: Sanskrit teachers
- italki: what's free
- Bubblegum
