Cantonese is written with traditional Chinese characters. It’s spoken in Hong Kong, Macau, Guang Zhou, and Southern parts of China in that locality, by about 80 million speakers as of 2023. It is also the official spoken form of Chinese in both Hong Kong and Macau, the only variety of Chinese besides Mandarin used as an official language anywhere in the world.
Why Is There No Cantonese on Duolingo?
Here is the part that trips most people up: Duolingo does have a Cantonese course, but it is only offered to Mandarin speakers. Its own public course list shows Chinese (Cantonese) available from Chinese (Simplified), with over eight million learners enrolled, and no Cantonese course at all for English speakers. So if you are starting from English, there really is no Cantonese on Duolingo for you.
The usual explanation is that people assume Cantonese is too close to Mandarin to need a separate English course. In practice the two share much of the written language, but the spoken forms are significantly different. A Cantonese speaker cannot follow Mandarin without study, and the same is true in reverse.
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Also, there are many people that think it’s enough to have just an option to learn Mandarin instead of Cantonese since it’s more useful. I simply can’t agree with that since has utility as well. I mean, it sure has more use in learning Cantonese than High Valyrian and Klingon, both of which can be found on Duolingo purely for entertainment reasons.
Chances look slim that Duolingo will open a Cantonese course for English speakers any time soon.
Why Is Having Cantonese On Duolingo Important?
Everyone who thinks that Cantonese doesn’t need its own course on Duolingo is wrong. Let me defend my point of view here.
The fact is that Cantonese, as well as Mandarin speakers, need to study the other language in order to communicate with each other. I know that because I have a Chinese friend who studied Mandarin Chinese but grew up speaking fluent Cantonese.
She lives away from Chine for almost 25 years and now she only knows basic phrases in Cantonese. That made her very sad because she couldn’t speak freely with her family on her mother tongue. So, my friend is highly interested in refreshing her Cantonese and very disappointed because she can’t do it using Duolingo.
If you ask her (and me), having no Cantonese On Duolingo is a huge minus.
What Are The Alternatives To Duolingo?
Ling
I am glad you asked. There is one very obvious recommendation that can be made here, and that is the Ling Cantonese app. Ling uses native Cantonese speakers to help you learn Cantonese just like it will sound in the country.
Through the gamification of learning, it also makes the whole process much more engaging. You can see yourself progress as you make your way through the different topics and tests that come along with it.
Then there is the chatbot feature that simulates conversations and makes for great practicing your Cantonese language skills. For an introvert like me, it helps to build up my courage to eventually feel confident enough to use it when out and about.
While these mobile apps do share a common goal of making language learning fun and accessible, what sets Ling apart is the focus on practical vocabulary, sentences, and phrases that you will use in everyday speech.
CantoneseClass101
CantoneseClass101 takes a podcast-style approach, built around roughly a thousand lessons recorded as authentic conversations between native speakers. If what you actually want is to hear how Cantonese sounds in a real exchange, rather than tapping through single words, this fills that gap well. Lessons are graded by level, so you can start from scratch and keep going as you improve.
It leans heavily on listening, so it works best alongside something that drills vocabulary and writing rather than on its own.
Glossika
Glossika works through immersion and repetition. You listen to a sentence recorded by a native speaker and say it back, over and over, so the patterns of the language settle in through your ear instead of through grammar tables. That makes it a strong choice for tones, which are exactly where Cantonese catches English speakers out.
It suits learners who already have a little Cantonese and want to sound more natural. Pair it with a structured course rather than treating it as one.
Other Resources
There are quite a few different apps and websites that work great with helping you to learn Cantonese. Each one goes about its own way to replace the hole made by the lack of Cantonese in Duolingo. Ultimately, it is a case of finding which option works best for your case.
Like we said before, it is good to make a language learning plan and mix things up if you are serious about learning Cantonese. If you are just looking for a more casual experience to learn a few phrases before traveling, then apps might be the best option for you.
For a free reference on the writing system and the Jyutping romanisation used to spell Cantonese sounds, Omniglot’s Cantonese page is a useful thing to keep open while you study.
No Cantonese On Duolingo: Frequently Asked Questions
Is There Cantonese On Duolingo?
Only if you already speak Mandarin. Duolingo lists a Chinese (Cantonese) course for Chinese (Simplified) speakers, but there is no Cantonese course for English speakers, so an English-speaking learner still cannot study Cantonese there.
Is Cantonese The Same As Mandarin?
No. They share much of the written language, but the spoken forms differ enough that a Cantonese speaker cannot follow Mandarin without studying it, and the same applies in reverse.
What Is The Best Duolingo Alternative For Cantonese?
Ling teaches Cantonese with native-speaker audio, gamified lessons, and a chatbot that simulates conversations for speaking practice. CantoneseClass101 is a good listening-led companion, and Glossika helps with tones through listen-and-repeat sentence drills.
How Many People Speak Cantonese?
About 80 million as of 2023. It is the official spoken form of Chinese in Hong Kong and Macau, and the only variety of Chinese other than Mandarin used as an official language anywhere in the world.
Learn Cantonese With Ling
You do not have to wait for Duolingo to open an English course. Ling already teaches Cantonese with native-speaker audio, writing practice for traditional characters, and a chatbot you can talk to without worrying about getting it wrong in front of a real person.
Start to learn Cantonese language with Ling today and get speaking from your first lesson.
