Speak like a local. Fast.

Real conversations with the people around you, from the first stop, the way they actually talk.

Get early access Seven languages · Android first
A cobbled street in a Guatemalan highland town under a volcano. Doña Rosa leans out of her tienda window, Ana waves, Don Chepe sits on a bench and Luis leans on a blue wall.

Buenas, ¿qué le doy?Hi, what can I get you?

Hola, mucho gusto.Hi, nice to meet you.

Buenas. ¿Cómo está?Hi. How are you?

¡Qué onda, vos!What's up!

Skip the colors. Start talking.

The first things you learn are the first things people will ask you.

The usual first lessons

  • el gatothe cat
  • rojo, azulred, blue
  • uno, dos, tresone, two, three

A few stops into Lokala

AnaA friend introduces you to someone

Hola, mucho gusto.

Mucho gusto.

Igualmente. ¿Cómo se llama?

Me llamo Sam.

Mucho gusto. ¿De dónde es?

Your turn

Me llamo Sam. Soy de Canadá. ¿Y usted? ¡Qué chilero!

You learn what they'll say back too, so you understand the answer and not just your question.

What people really say

The textbook gets you understood. This gets you a smile.

  • Doña Rosa at her tienda window

    Textbook: Quisiera un café, por favor.

    Me regala un café.

    Can I get a coffee?

    How you ask at any tienda.

  • A map with a pin

    Textbook: ¿De dónde eres?

    ¿De dónde es? ¿De dónde sos?

    Where are you from?

    Usted with someone new, vos with friends. Both from day one.

  • Luis cheering

    Textbook: ¡Qué genial!

    ¡Qué chilero!

    How cool!

    Pure chapín.

  • A girl and a boy holding hands

    Textbook: Sí, un niño.

    Sí, un patojo.

    Yes, a boy.

    What you'll hear when you ask about kids.

Every stop is a neighbor

A path of real situations, each one ending in a conversation you can actually have.

  1. Hola, mucho gusto.

    Meeting people Ask where they're from Practice · 8
    1 · THE PLACE

    Your neighbors are the lessons

    The stop you're on is someone on the street, saying the line you'll learn to answer.

  2. ¿De dónde es?

    What does she ask?

    Where you're from Your name Your kids The shop
    2 · TALK

    Easy first, then harder

    Hear it, pick it, build it, then say it out loud. Miss one and the next try is easier.

  3. AnaAsk where they're from

    Hola, mucho gusto.

    Mucho gusto.

    ¿De dónde es?

    …

    Soy de Canadá.Me llamo Sam.
    3 · THE CONVERSATION

    Then the real thing

    A short chat with her, where you pick every reply. It only opens once you know every line by ear.

  4. ¡Listo!
    4 · A KITE GOES UP

    Every answer is a stitch

    Each stop weaves a row of a faja, and passing it sends a barrilete up over the hill.

Your answers to the questions everyone asks

Where are you from? What brings you here? Pick an answer, or write your own in English and get it in the language you're learning. Then practice it until it comes out on its own.

¿De dónde es?Where are you from?
  • Soy de Canadá. I'm from Canada.
  • Soy de Estados Unidos. I'm from the US.
  • Me encanta cocinar. Your own words

Kabuli Dari

A lane in Kabul, the same way

The Dari people say at the dukan and the door, with every line in the Persian alphabet and in Latin letters.

A lane in Kabul under snowy peaks with kites in the sky. Kaka Hamid stands by his fruit shop with his hand on his heart, Omid holds two naan by the bakery, Bibi smiles from a turquoise gate and Mariam walks home waving.

Salaam, chetor hastin?سلام، چطور هستین؟

Salaam!سلام!

Manda nabashin!مانده نباشین!

Az kuja hastin?از کجا هستین؟

  • Manda nabashin!مانده نباشینHope you're not worn out. What you say to anyone working or carrying bags.
  • Zinda bashin.زنده باشینMay you live. The warm way to answer it.
  • Az kuja hastin? · Az kuja asti?از کجا هستین؟Where are you from? Shoma with Bibi, tu with Omid.

Your carpet

In Dari, every answer ties a knot of a runner carpet, and passing a stop sends Omid's gudiparan up from the roof.

Seven places, each its own

Every language has its own street, its own neighbors, and its own way of marking how far you've come.

  • A cobbled street in a Guatemalan town under a volcano, Doña Rosa at her tienda window

    Buenas, ¿qué le doy?

    Español Spanish · Xela, Guatemala · usted and vos

    “Hi, what can I get you?” Doña Rosa at her tienda

    Every answer is a stitch in a faja, and a passed stop sends a barrilete over the hill.

  • A lane in Kabul under snowy peaks, Bibi at her turquoise gate

    Khush aamadin!خوش آمدین

    Dari دری Dari · Kabul · shoma and tu

    “Welcome!” Bibi at her gate

    Every answer ties a knot of a runner carpet, and a passed stop sends Omid's gudiparan up from the roof.

  • A Cairo street of ochre buildings and balconies, 3am Sayed on the bawwab's bench

    Saba7 el kheir!صباح الخير

    Masri مصري Egyptian Arabic · Cairo · 7adretak and enta

    “Good morning!” 3am Sayed on the bawwab's bench

    Every answer is a kahk on Tant Samia's Eid tray, and a passed stop gets her zaghroota from the balcony.

  • A sloping Istanbul street with bay windows, Mehmet Amca waving from his bakkal

    Nasılsınız?

    Türkçe Turkish · Istanbul · siz and sen

    “How are you?” Mehmet Amca at his bakkal

    Every answer is a chain stitch of Ayşe Teyze's doily, and a passed stop brings her sepet up its rope.

  • A village chautari under a pipal tree with the Himalaya behind, Ba at his tea stall

    चिया खानुहुन्छ?Chiya khanuhunchha?

    नेपाली Nepali · Kathmandu and the hills · tapai and timi

    “Will you have some tea?” Ba at his tea stall

    For travelers. Every answer lights a lamp for Tihar, and a passed stop is Aama's tika and marigold garland.

  • A fara by the river, Mamu Rafiq mending his net by the boat, Ayub with his kite, Dadi and Yasmin embroidering on a mat

    Assalamu aláikum!𐴀𐴝𐴏𐴧𐴝𐴓𐴝𐴔𐴟 𐴀𐴝𐴓𐴝𐴤𐴞𐴑𐴟𐴔

    Ruáingga 𐴌𐴟𐴝𐴤𐴞𐴚𐴒𐴝 Rohingya · Arakan · oñne and tuñí

    “Peace be with you!” Mamu Rafiq at his boat

    Every answer is a stitch of Dadi's fultola, and a passed stop opens Mamu's cast net over the river.

  • A brick street in Utrecht, Ans on her bench among the hollyhocks with a coffee, Sanne by her bakfiets

    Hoi! Alles goed?

    Nederlands Dutch · Utrecht · je and u

    “Hi! All good?” Sanne by her bakfiets

    For when everyone switches to English. Every answer seats a guest in the birthday circle, and a passed stop hangs out the flag with the schoolbag.

Luis and Ana on the hill above town, flying a barrilete
Xela
Omid on the roof with his kite spool, Bibi watching
Kabul
Tant Samia on her balcony, hand at her mouth, ululating; Youssef and Nour cheering below
Cairo
Ayşe Teyze at her window hauling up the sepet on its rope, Mehmet Amca and Can below
İstanbul
Mamu Rafiq in his boat on the river, his cast net opening into a wide circle above the water
Arakan
Lotte cheering from her window as the flag with her schoolbag hangs out; Sanne, Sem and Ans clapping below
Utrecht
Aama at the chautari, reaching to put a red tika on your forehead, a marigold garland in her other hand
Nepal

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