Chinese
Spanish
Portuguese
English
CiaoSpeak in 43 seconds.
A taco seller in Mexico City asks what you'd like, you answer out loud, and the app tells you if he understood. Then the lessons, native audio, reviews and stories that get you there.
Which languages can you learn with CiaoSpeak?
CiaoSpeak teaches English speakers three languages: Traditional Chinese the way Taiwan speaks it, Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. It also teaches English to speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese and Traditional Chinese, explained in their own language.
Chinese, the way Taiwan speaks it
Traditional characters with pinyin or Zhuyin, Taiwan-accent audio, and units labeled with TOCFL levels. The breakfast-shop auntie or a taxi driver asks the questions.
Learn ChineseLatin American Spanish
Everyday Spanish as it's spoken across Latin America, explained in English, with questions from the people you'd meet there.
Learn SpanishBrazilian Portuguese
Portuguese the way Brazil speaks it, explained in English, with questions from the people you'd meet in Brazil.
Learn Brazilian PortugueseEnglish, explained in your language
What's in every CiaoSpeak course?
Every course has the same four parts in one app: lessons, stories, speaking practice and a review of what you missed.
Learn the words and grammar
Short lessons in a set order, each one unlocking the next, with recorded audio. A new word starts with a quick guess at what it means, because guessing first helps the real answer stick.
Read and listen at your level
Chat-style dialogues, short articles and chapter series, with audio for every line, a translation when you need it and a few questions at the end. Four stories in every course to start with; the full library with CiaoSpeak+.
Answer real questions
A shop owner, a taxi driver or a new coworker asks you one question. Answer out loud or type it, and the app tells you whether a person would understand you, with one gentle fix when something gets in the way.
Keep what you learn
Mistakes from lessons and stories come back in a short review until they stick. A streak, a daily goal and XP show how far you’ve come.
What are CiaoSpeak Stories?
Stories are short dialogues, articles and chapter series written for each course’s level and set in the places the course is about. Every line has audio, any new word is explained right where it appears, and a few questions at the end check that you followed.
Follow the same characters one chapter at a time, or read a stand-alone story front to back: it’s practice that reads like a book, not a drill.
Four stories in every course to start with.
The whole library, every chapter series included.
Learn Chinese the way Taiwan speaks it
CiaoSpeak's Chinese course teaches Traditional Chinese as it's spoken in Taiwan: Traditional characters, pinyin or Zhuyin, and Taiwan-accent audio, across 227 lessons in 16 units. Units are labeled with TOCFL levels from Novice to Band B, and the speaking questions are set in Taiwan, from a breakfast shop to a night market. Learn Chinese with CiaoSpeak.
- Free TOCFL practice quiz (20 questions, about 5 minutes)
- TOCFL guide and the TOCFL level checker
- Taiwan Chinese word list
- Taiwan Chinese vs. Mainland Chinese
- How to learn Chinese: a beginner's guide
What does CiaoSpeak+ add?
CiaoSpeak is free to start, and every lesson in every course stays free, along with the review of your mistakes, the daily Quick Practice and today's speaking questions, up to five a day. There are no hearts, no energy and no lesson limits.
CiaoSpeak+ is an optional subscription. In the US it costs $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year, and the yearly plan starts with a free trial: 7 days on Google Play, 3 days on the App Store. In other countries the store shows the price in your currency. One subscription covers every course.
Every lesson, mistake review, the daily Quick Practice and up to five speaking questions a day.
Speaking practice in any scene whenever you like, your whole phrasebook, every story and unlimited Quick Practice rounds.
Made by one person.
CiaoSpeak is made by Robertas Gaumanas, who runs it as a one-person company. He decides what each course teaches and tests the app on real phones. If you spot a mistake anywhere, email [email protected] and he'll fix it. Read the story behind CiaoSpeak.
Questions, answered.
Which languages can I learn with CiaoSpeak?
English speakers can learn Traditional Chinese the way Taiwan speaks it, Latin American Spanish or Brazilian Portuguese. Speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese and Traditional Chinese can learn English, with everything explained in their own language.
How does CiaoSpeak check what I say?
It checks whether a person would understand you, not whether your grammar is perfect. After you answer, the app shows what it heard, then says “They understood you” or gives one gentle fix and a shorter, more natural way to say it.
Can I learn more than one language with CiaoSpeak?
Yes. You pick one course when you start and can switch to another in Settings at any time. Each course keeps its own progress, and one CiaoSpeak+ subscription covers every course.
Is there any free app to learn languages?
Yes, several. CiaoSpeak is free to start, and every lesson in every course stays free, along with the review of your mistakes, the daily Quick Practice and up to five speaking questions a day. CiaoSpeak+ is optional and costs $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year in the US, with a free trial on the yearly plan (7 days on Google Play, 3 days on the App Store).
Who makes CiaoSpeak?
One person: Robertas Gaumanas, who builds CiaoSpeak as a one-person company. Email [email protected] and he answers himself.
Get CiaoSpeak for iPhone and Android.
Free to start: every lesson included, in every course. Pick your course when you open the app.
Questions? Reach us directly at [email protected]