Is Galician on Duolingo? Your options
Duolingo does not currently offer a Galician course. That can feel like a roadblock, but it is actually a chance to build a flexible toolkit. Many learners mix a few simple apps and sites to cover vocabulary, phrases, listening, and conversation. No single app does everything; the secret is using the right tools for the right job.
Here’s a practical stack for beginners: a phrase app to learn what to say, a spaced-repetition deck for memory, a dictionary to check usage, and easy listening for real language. Most of these are free, or have generous free tiers.
- Portal da Lingua Galega: official site with beginner materials and links, free.
- Dicionario RAG (Real Academia Galega): authoritative dictionary to confirm meanings and examples.
- Memrise community courses: search Galician for starter vocab and phrases.
- Clozemaster: sentence-based practice to see words in context, good for A1–A2.
- YouTube: search Galego para principiantes and Aula de galego for short lessons.
First phrases for beginners
In one minute you can learn to say hello, thank you, and order something. Keep phrases short, repeat out loud, and aim for clarity over speed. As you learn, write your own tiny dialogues so that you reuse each new word in a real situation.
- Ola — Hello
- Bos días — Good morning
- Boas tardes — Good afternoon
- Boas noites — Good night
- Por favor — Please
- Grazas — Thank you
- Si / Non — Yes / No
- Como te chamas — What is your name
- Chámome… — My name is…
- Un café, por favor — A coffee, please
Pronunciation and spelling basics
Galician pronunciation is friendly for English speakers, especially if you have heard Spanish or Portuguese. Vowels are short and clear, consonants are mostly consistent, and stress patterns are predictable. Learn these quick anchors and you will sound natural faster, even as a beginner.
If a word has an accent mark, stress that syllable; otherwise, stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable. Keep vowels crisp: a, e, i, o, u do not drift. Record yourself for one minute a day and compare with a native clip; small daily fixes add up.
- x often sounds like the sh in ship (e.g., xente sounds like shen-te).
- ll is similar to the y in yes in many accents; ñ sounds like ny in canyon.
- b and v are pronounced similarly; do not overthink the difference.
- Question intonation rises slightly at the end, like English.
- Write what you hear: syllables are clear and usually match spelling.
A simple 7‑day plan for a beginner
This light plan assumes 15–20 minutes per day. If you only have one minute, still open your notes and say two lines aloud. Consistency is the real engine that moves beginners into confident A1–A2 speakers.
- Day 1: Learn greetings and thank you; record yourself saying Ola, Bos días, and Grazas.
- Day 2: Add names and origins: Como te chamas, Chámome…, De onde es.
- Day 3: Numbers 1–20 and café bar phrases: Un café, por favor; Canto custa.
- Day 4: Pronunciation drill with x, ll, ñ; shadow 5 short sentences.
- Day 5: Build a mini-dialogue for ordering food; practice until it flows.
- Day 6: Vocab booster: family and common verbs (ser, estar, ter) in simple lines.
- Day 7: Review everything; speak for one minute about your day using simple present.
Free resources and friendly communities
Learning a language works best with people. Pair your self-study with supportive communities and practical inputs. Most of the options below are free or have free parts, and all are beginner friendly.
- Dicionario RAG and Estraviz: look up meanings, examples, and variants.
- Radio Galega podcasts: slow news segments are great for passive listening.
- Reddit and Discord groups for Galician or Iberian languages: ask quick questions.
- HelloTalk or Tandem: language partners who can correct what you say in chat.
- Local culture: listen to Galician music and turn on subtitles from TVG A Galega.
FAQ
- Is Galician available on Duolingo?
- Not at the moment. That said, you can combine free resources like Memrise, Clozemaster, and the Dicionario RAG to cover vocabulary, sentences, and usage while you learn as a beginner.
- How close is Galician to Spanish and Portuguese?
- Galician is closely related to Portuguese and also very understandable to many Spanish speakers. If you know one of those languages, you will learn faster; if not, it is still beginner friendly.
- Can I learn Galician for free?
- Yes. You can build a complete free path: YouTube lessons, Memrise community courses, Anki decks, the Portal da Lingua Galega, and Radio Galega for listening. Add a free dictionary to check what you say.
- How long to reach A2 in Galician?
- With 20–30 minutes daily, many learners reach solid A2 in 3–4 months. The key is speaking a little every day, reviewing spaced-repetition cards, and writing short lines that you say out loud.
- What is an easy first sentence to say?
- Try this one: Ola, chámome Alex. Son de Londres. Quero un café, por favor. It is short, polite, and useful in real life, and it reinforces core beginner vocabulary and pronunciation.