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Learn Bengali

Learn to read Bangla script and speak everyday Bengali, step by step.

Free to start. Built from a single prompt. No credit card.

Bengali, or Bangla, is the language of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, and the language of poets like Rabindranath Tagore. It is written in the Bengali script, an abugida whose letters hang from a horizontal headline, with conjunct letters formed when consonants combine. Unlike Hindi, the inherent vowel in each consonant is usually pronounced close to o, so ক reads as ko. Bengali grammar has no grammatical gender, but verbs change for three levels of respect, tui, tumi and apni. Nouns take classifiers like -ṭa and -ṭi to mean "the". Learnr builds a personalized Bengali course from a single prompt and teaches it in short lessons.

How to learn Bengali, step by step

Learn the consonants and vowel signs. Learn the consonants in their traditional rows, then the vowel signs that attach before, after, above or below them. Practice writing words like আমি (ami, I) and তুমি (tumi, you) to see how syllables are built.
Get the inherent vowel and aspiration right. Bengali consonants carry an inherent vowel close to o, sometimes silent at the end of words. Practice aspirated pairs like ক and খ, and dental ত against retroflex ট.
Learn pronouns with their verb forms. Use apni for respect, tumi for friends and family, and tui for very close relationships. Verbs change to match: apni khan, tumi khao, tui khas (you eat). Practice each level with the same verbs.
Use verb-final order and postpositions. Bengali sentences usually end with the verb: Ami bhat khai (I eat rice). Learn case endings and postpositions like -er for possession, -ke for objects and -e for location.
Add classifiers to nouns. Bengali uses classifiers to make nouns definite or countable: boi-ṭa (the book), duṭo boi (two books). Learn -ṭa, -ṭi and -gulo for plurals through common phrases.
Learn conjuncts as you read. Conjunct letters combine consonants into new shapes, as in the ক্ষ in words like ক্ষমা. Learn the common ones gradually while reading, and keep your script fresh with short daily Learnr lessons.

What you'll learn

Read and write the Bengali script, including common conjuncts
Pronounce aspirated, retroflex and dental consonants
Conjugate verbs for the tui, tumi and apni levels of respect
Use classifiers and postpositions in simple sentences
Hold everyday conversations about family, food and daily life

What's inside your Bengali course

A sample path Learnr builds for Bengali. Your real course adapts to your goal and level.

1. The Bengali script and vowel signs
2. Sounds, aspiration and the inherent vowel
3. Greetings, pronouns and levels of respect
4. Present-tense verbs and verb-final sentences
5. Classifiers, postpositions and past tense
6. Conjuncts, reading practice and conversation

How long does it take to learn Bengali?

The script usually takes a few weeks, with conjuncts taking longer. Expect simple conversations after several months of daily practice and comfortable fluency after a couple of years. Speakers of Hindi or Assamese find vocabulary and grammar more familiar.

What you need before you start

Nothing beyond English. Any Hindi, Sanskrit or Assamese helps, especially with vocabulary and the script, which is closely related to Assamese.

Common mistakes to avoid

Pronouncing the inherent vowel as a, as in Hindi, instead of the o-like sound Bengali uses.
Using tumi or tui with elders and strangers instead of apni, which can come across as rude.
Avoiding conjunct letters for too long, which leaves many common words unreadable.

How Learnr builds your course

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Bengali questions, answered

Is Bengali similar to Hindi?

They are related Indo-Aryan languages and share some vocabulary, but they are not mutually understandable without study. Bengali uses its own script, has no grammatical gender and conjugates verbs for respect instead.

Is the Bengali script hard to learn?

The basic letters can be learned in a few weeks with daily practice. Conjunct letters take longer, but they follow patterns and become familiar as you read more.