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Bengali for free
Why learn Bengali?
Bengali is one of the 67 languages you can learn on Lingocard with frequency-ranked flashcards, spaced repetition, and live speaking partners. Build vocabulary and pronunciation at your own pace, on web and mobile.
In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Bengali is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Bengali belongs to the Indo-European (Indo-Aryan) family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Hindi or Marathi.
50 essential Bengali words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Bengali sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | আমি | AH-mee | I |
| 2 | তুমি | TOO-mee | you |
| 3 | সে | sheh | he |
| 4 | আমরা | AHM-rah | we |
| 5 | তারা | TAH-rah | they |
| 6 | এই | ey | this |
| 7 | সেই | shey | that |
| 8 | কী | kee | what |
| 9 | কে | keh | who |
| 10 | না | nah | no |
| 11 | এবং | eh-BONG | and |
| 12 | বা | bah | or |
| 13 | কিন্তু | KIN-too | but |
| 14 | মধ্যে | MOHD-dheh | in |
| 15 | সঙ্গে | SHONG-geh | with |
| 16 | এক | ek | one |
| 17 | দুই | dooy | two |
| 18 | বড় | BAW-roh | big |
| 19 | ছোট | CHHOH-toh | small |
| 20 | ভালো | BHAH-loh | good |
| 21 | নতুন | NOH-toon | new |
| 22 | মানুষ | MAH-noosh | person |
| 23 | পানি | PAH-nee | water |
| 24 | দিন | din | day |
| 25 | বছর | BAW-chhor | year |
| 26 | সময় | SHOH-moy | time |
| 27 | বাড়ি | BAH-ree | house |
| 28 | কাজ | kahj | work |
| 29 | জীবন | JEE-bon | life |
| 30 | কথা | KAW-thah | word |
| 31 | হওয়া | HOH-ah | be |
| 32 | থাকা | THAH-kah | stay |
| 33 | করা | KAW-rah | do |
| 34 | বলা | BAW-lah | say |
| 35 | জানা | JAH-nah | know |
| 36 | দেখা | DEH-khah | see |
| 37 | যাওয়া | JAH-oh-ah | go |
| 38 | আসা | AH-shah | come |
| 39 | দেওয়া | DEH-oh-ah | give |
| 40 | নেওয়া | NEH-oh-ah | take |
| 41 | চাওয়া | CHAH-oh-ah | want |
| 42 | খাওয়া | KHAH-oh-ah | eat |
| 43 | এখন | EH-khon | now |
| 44 | এখানে | eh-KHAH-neh | here |
| 45 | সেখানে | sheh-KHAH-neh | there |
| 46 | কোথায় | KOH-thahy | where |
| 47 | কেন | KEH-noh | why |
| 48 | সব | shawb | all |
| 49 | অনেক | aw-NEK | many |
| 50 | আজ | ahj | today |
Useful phrases in Bengali
- নমস্কার · no-mosh-KAR · Hello / Good day
- কেমন আছেন? · KE-mon a-chhen · How are you?
- ধন্যবাদ · DHON-no-bad · Thank you
- দয়া করে · DO-ya ko-re · Please
- আমার নাম... · a-MAR nam · My name is...
- ... কোথায়? · ko-THAY · Where is...?
- বিদায় · bee-DAI · Goodbye
- মাফ করবেন · maf KOR-ben · Excuse me
- আমি বুঝতে পারছি না · AH-mee BOOJH-te PAR-chee na · I don't understand
- আপনি কি আমাকে সাহায্য করতে পারেন? · AP-nee kee AH-ma-ke sha-HAJ-jo KOR-te PA-ren · Can you help me?
- এটার দাম কত? · EH-tar dam KO-to · How much is it?
- আগামীকাল দেখা হবে! · AH-ga-mee-kal DEH-kha HO-be · See you tomorrow!
Learn Bengali with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Bengali, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Bengali learning community
Collaborate with native Bengali speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
Are you an educator? Teach Bengali online · Create an online Bengali school · Build a Bengali curriculum
Frequently asked questions about learning Bengali
How difficult is it to learn Bengali?
How difficult Bengali is depends on your background, but every language becomes manageable with consistent daily practice. Focusing on the most frequent words first means you can understand and say a lot early on. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Bengali is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Bengali?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Bengali?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level in Bengali within 8-18 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 270 million people across 2 countries speak Bengali, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Bengali vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Bengali pronunciation hard?
Every language has a few sounds that take practice, but Bengali pronunciation becomes consistent with regular listening and speaking. Hearing the language often matters more than memorising rules.
How do I get Free Bengali speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Bengali alphabet first?
If Bengali uses a different script, learning it early unlocks reading - and it's usually faster than people expect. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.