Duolingo's course list, as we found it on October 15, 2026, offers Chinese (Simplified) to speakers of 28 languages and has no course named for Xi'an. Duolingo's blog explains that its Chinese is Mandarin, the language of China's schools and government.
Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi, with about 13 million residents. Its speech belongs to the Guanzhong dialect, part of Central Plains Mandarin. A Xi'an friend says 嫑 for "don't", and 这达 for "here". For more apps, see our Xi'an dialect app comparison.
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Xi'an dialect. You learn from Xi'an dialect you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, how much Chinese you know and what you'd enjoy, and she writes a Xi'an lesson for you. Ask for a walk along the city wall with a friend, and your friend talks the way people in Xi'an do. If an ending puzzles you, ask Poppy about it.
When you want a real conversation, use the two apps below.
- Xi'an speech gets a journey of its own, in Simplified characters, across six levels.
- Grammar cards explain 咧, which marks that something has happened, and 得是 for asking someone to confirm.
- You'll find stories and news written in Xi'an speech too.
- Through Regenerative Review™, saved words reappear in your next Xi'an lessons.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- There's no import for your own books or articles.
- 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 Xi'an speech
- Teaches Pinyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Keep Duolingo for the Characters
Duolingo
Learn to read your first characters on Duolingo, then use Xi'an lessons and people from the city for the local words.
- Its Chinese course teaches Simplified characters, the ones Xi'an uses.
- All Duolingo courses are free.
- Standard Mandarin, not Xi'an speech
MobileWeb
Meet People From Xi'an
italki
A tutor who grew up in Shaanxi can say a sentence in Xi'an speech, then say it again in Standard Mandarin so you can compare.
- You book private video lessons with a Chinese tutor.
- Before you pick a tutor, you can take three trial classes at under $5 each.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
HelloTalk connects you with people who speak Chinese and want to learn your language, so each of you helps the other.
- Built-in translation helps you read and write messages in Chinese.
- Join a voice room and talk with a group.
MobileWeb
How to Start With Each App
| App | How You Can Start |
|---|---|
| Duolingo | All courses are free, and a Super Duolingo trial lasts 14 days. |
| italki | Signing up costs nothing, and you pay per lesson after the trial classes. |
| HelloTalk | HelloTalk is free to download, and VIP is a paid upgrade. |
Common Questions
Which Xi'an dialect app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Xi'an dialect, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Duolingo's Mandarin course and add a tutor from Shaanxi on italki when you're ready to talk.
Is the Xi'an dialect the same as the Shaanxi dialect?
Not quite. Xi'an speech is the model for the whole Guanzhong dialect of central Shaanxi, which is why people sometimes call that dialect Xi'anese. Parts of southern Shaanxi speak Southwestern Mandarin.
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: Guanzhong dialect (Central Plains Mandarin; Xi'an speech is its typical form)
- Wikipedia: Xi'an (capital of Shaanxi, about 13.24 million residents in a 2025 sample survey)
- Wikipedia: Southwestern Mandarin (also spoken in some southern parts of Shaanxi)
- italki: Chinese teachers
- italki: current iPhone listing (three trial classes for less than $5 each)
- HelloTalk: Chinese language exchange partners
- HelloTalk: which search filters need VIP
- HelloTalk: current iPhone listing
- Bubblegum
- Duolingo
Checked on October 15, 2026 against each app's own pages.
