Reconnecting with family
Grew up hearing it but answering in English or French? Finally talk with your parents, grandparents and cousins in the language of home.
Spoken by 40+ million people across the Congos
Speak Lingala like you grew up in Kinshasa.
From your first “Mbote” to real conversations with family, friends and the whole city. Five-minute lessons, AI conversation partners that reply in real time, and the street expressions textbooks never teach.
- No credit card
- In English or French
- Works on your phone, even offline
5levels, from zero to B1
227real phrases, not word lists
7AI conversation partners
34“sounds local” expressions
Why people come here
Everyone has a reason. The goal is the same: be understood.
Lingala is the language of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, of the river, the markets and the music. However you got here, the app is built around the moment you'll actually use it.
Partners & in-laws
Greet your in-laws properly, show respect to elders the Congolese way, and follow the conversation at the next family celebration.
Travelling to the Congo
Taxis, markets, prices and directions in your first weeks, so you land in Kinshasa ready to get around, haggle and make friends.
Rumba & music lovers
Congolese rumba is on UNESCO's list of humanity's cultural heritage. Understand what Franco, Koffi and Fally are actually singing about.
Work & service
NGO, church, health or business work in the region? Build trust by speaking the language people use every day, not just French.
Curious language lovers
Bored of the usual options? A Bantu language with tones, elegant verb prefixes and a huge, lively community is a brilliant next challenge.
How it works
Five minutes a day. A method built on how people actually learn languages.
No grammar lectures and no endless vocabulary lists. Each daily session moves you through the same four steps that research on language learning keeps pointing to.
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1
Learn whole phrases
Fluent speakers rely on ready-made chunks like Likambo te and Kaka bongo. You learn the phrases people really say, each one in a real-life dialogue.
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2
Crack the patterns
Pattern drills turn Nasali into Nakosala, “I” into “we”, a friend into an elder. You learn the rule once, then build sentences you've never seen.
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3
Use it in conversation
Role-play the market, a taxi, a family visit. Then chat live with AI partners who reply in Lingala, correct you gently and give you a mission to complete.
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4
Never forget it
Spaced repetition brings each phrase back right before you'd forget it: tomorrow, then in 3 days, a week, a month. Study cards break every phrase down word by word. What you learn stays learned.
Try it right now
Lingala is easier than you think.
Verbs carry their subject as a prefix: na- is “I”, to- is “we”. Add te to say “not”. Pick the pieces and you're already making real sentences. This is the engine of the whole language.
Keep going in the appWhat makes it different
Everything you need to go from tourist to mwana mboka.
Mwana mboka means “child of the country”, a real local. It's the compliment this app is built to earn you.
Live chat practice
Conversation partners, any time of day
Text with Mama Nzeba next door, haggle with a market seller, direct a taxi driver, catch up with a friend from Matonge. Each reply comes with feedback on what you wrote and suggestions if you're stuck.
Say it in your language. Get the Lingala.
Speak or type a phrase. You get the translation, alternatives and a word-by-word breakdown, so you learn, not just copy.
The Lingala people really speak
Kinshasa slang, the French that Kinois mix in, and the respect forms that make elders smile.
- TextbookOzali malamu?KinshasaNdenge nini?
- TextbookMatɔ́ndɔKinshasaMerci mingi
- To a friendOzali malamu?To an elderBozali malamu?
Study cards
Every phrase, taken apart
Flip cards show what each word means and how the verbs are built, with your own notes and memory hooks. Say how sure you are before you flip: confident mistakes come back first.
Already know some? Test out.
Score 80% on a level checkpoint and skip ahead. No wasted time on what you know.
Streaks, daily goals & a finish date
Pick 5 to 25 minutes a day. The app shows when you'll reach real conversations at your pace.
Learn from English or French
The whole app, every meaning, note and correction, in the language you think in.
Phone, tablet or laptop. Online or off.
Install it like an app. Lessons work offline and your progress syncs to your account.
The path to conversational
A clear plan from zero to real conversations in about three months.
Five levels mapped to the international CEFR scale. Each one ends with things you can actually do, not chapters you've finished. Times assume about 10 minutes a day.
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1Weeks 1–3 · A0 → A1
Arrive Survival Lingala
- Greet anyone and ask how they are
- Say you don't understand, ask people to slow down
- Count, ask prices and haggle at the market
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2Weeks 3–6 · A1
Get around Food, taxis & directions
- Order food and say you're hungry
- Take a taxi and give directions
- Ask who, what, where, when and why
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3Weeks 6–10 · A1 → A2
Daily life Family, actions & feelings
- Talk about your family
- Say what you're doing and what you will do
- Say what you want, can and can't do
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4Weeks 10–14 · A2 → B1
Conversations Past, plans & small talk
- Tell what happened yesterday or long ago
- Make plans and invite people out
- Hold a 5-minute small-talk conversation
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5Ongoing · B1
Mwana mboka Sound like a local
- React naturally: “Ya solo?”, “Kaka bongo”
- Use everyday Kinshasa street expressions
- Show respect to elders the Congolese way
Why not just use…
Most language apps don't teach Lingala. Phrasebooks don't teach conversation.
| Feature | Learn Lingala | Phrasebooks & videos | Big language apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teaches Lingala | Yes | Yes | Rarely |
| Step-by-step path to conversation | Yes | No | Yes |
| Live conversation practice, 24/7 | Yes | No | Some |
| Kinshasa slang & respect forms | Yes | Some | No |
| Reviews before you forget | Yes | No | Yes |
| Word-by-word breakdowns & your own notes | Yes | Some | Some |
| Voice translator with breakdowns | Yes | No | No |
| Free to start | Yes | Often | Varies |
Questions
Good questions, honest answers.
How fast will I be able to have a conversation?
The course is designed to get you to small-talk conversations (Level 4, around A2–B1) in about three months at 10 minutes a day. Everyone's pace differs, so the app shows your own estimated date based on how often you practise.
Is it really free?
Yes. You can start right now, with no card and no trial timer. Lessons, reviews and the phrasebook work without an account. Create a free account to save your progress across devices and to use live chat and AI translation.
Which Lingala does it teach?
Everyday Lingala as it's spoken in Kinshasa, including the French words Kinois mix in, plus respectful forms for elders. Usage varies between Kinshasa, Brazzaville and other regions, and the app points out common variants.
Can I learn from French instead of English?
Yes. Choose English or French when you start, and switch any time in your profile. All meanings, grammar notes, dialogues, chat feedback and translations follow your choice.
Is there audio?
Native-speaker audio is on the way. For now, every lesson has you say phrases out loud, and the pronunciation guide teaches the sounds (Lingala is spelled the way it sounds, which helps a lot). The translator accepts your voice in English or French.
How accurate are the AI chat and translations?
The course phrases are written and checked by hand. Chat partners and AI translations are powered by Claude and told to use only Lingala they're confident in, and every translation shows a confidence level. AI can still make mistakes, so check anything surprising with a native speaker.
I already speak some Lingala. Will I be bored?
No. Take a level checkpoint and test out. Score 80% and you skip ahead, with those phrases added to your reviews so they stay fresh.
Tóyekola Lingála!
Join the 40+ million people who speak Lingala.
Your first lesson takes five minutes. By the end of it you'll greet someone, ask how they are, and understand the answer.
Start learning freeNo card · English or French · Phone, tablet or laptop