Does Duolingo Have Cantonese? Only for Mandarin Speakers

Does Duolingo offer anything close to Cantonese?

For English speakers, the nearest course is Duolingo's Chinese, which teaches Mandarin with simplified characters. Spoken Cantonese and Mandarin aren't mutually intelligible: ten, 十, is sap6 in Cantonese and shí in Mandarin. And Hong Kong and Macau write with traditional characters, so many simplified forms you'd learn look different there: 說 rather than 说, 門 rather than 门.

There is a longer route: learn Mandarin first, then take Duolingo's Cantonese course taught from it. It's worth it if you want both languages, and a long detour if you only want Cantonese. Babbel and Busuu don't offer Cantonese (checked November 2026).

How to learn Cantonese with Qlango

Qlango teaches Cantonese, listed as Chinese (Cantonese), at A1 and A2, the first two levels of the CEFR scale. At these levels you introduce yourself, talk about daily life in simple sentences and get through everyday exchanges, with no Mandarin needed first.

A lesson is a set of short Cantonese example sentences with the translation in the language you learn from, answered as flashcards, by picking one of two answers, matching pairs, putting scrambled words in order, writing what you hear and writing the translation yourself. While the characters are new, you can show a Latin transliteration under each word. An AI voice reads every example aloud, and you can slow it down, which helps with the two rising tones, 2 and 5, that beginners mix up. A finished lesson comes back after one, two, four and eight days and then once more, and examples you needed a hint for return in harder questions later.

You choose the language you learn from, so it doesn't have to be English.

What you say isn't what you write

Newspapers and official letters in Hong Kong use standard written Chinese, whose grammar is close to Mandarin. Messages, adverts and comics write Cantonese the way people speak it, with characters a Mandarin textbook doesn't teach:

So "I am a student" is 我係學生 (ngo5 hai6 hok6 saang1) when you say it to a friend, and 我是學生 in a newspaper. A Mandarin course teaches the right-hand column. Talking to people in Hong Kong takes the left.

Your first Cantonese words

The digits are the tones. 唔該 is the word you'll use most: it thanks the waiter, gets people to let you past, and in 唔該埋單 (m4 goi1 maai4 daan1) asks for the bill. Our full guide to learning Cantonese covers the six tones, Jyutping and a plan for your first month.

FAQ

Is Cantonese on Duolingo?

Yes, but only for Mandarin speakers. As of November 2026, Duolingo teaches Cantonese only from Mandarin Chinese, not from English.

Can English speakers learn Cantonese on Duolingo?

Not directly. You'd have to learn Mandarin first, well enough to take the Cantonese course taught from it.

How do you say hello in Cantonese?

你好 (nei5 hou2), safe with anyone. In the morning people say 早晨 (zou2 san4), and among friends in Hong Kong many say "hello" or "hi" in English.

Is Cantonese hard to learn?

For English speakers, yes. The US Foreign Service Institute puts Cantonese in Category IV, its hardest group: about 2,200 class hours to professional working proficiency. The six tones are the main reason, since a word in the wrong tone is often a different word.

What is the best app to learn Cantonese?

It depends on where you start. If you want a course organised by CEFR level and taught from English or your own language, Qlango teaches Cantonese at A1 and A2. Duolingo teaches Cantonese only from Mandarin, and Babbel and Busuu don't offer it (checked November 2026).

Is there a free app to learn Cantonese?

Qlango is free to download on iPhone and Android, and you can start your first Cantonese lesson without creating an account. It also works in your browser.

Will Duolingo add Cantonese for English speakers?

We can't say. Duolingo adds and removes courses over time, so check its catalogue if you're reading this much later.

See every language Duolingo doesn't teach, or compare Qlango and Duolingo side by side. Your first Cantonese lesson in Qlango takes about five minutes.