Duolingo Persian: Is There a Farsi Course? (2026 Facts and Better Options)

No, Duolingo does not teach Persian. As of November 2026, there is no Persian (Farsi) course for English speakers on Duolingo, and no Dari or Tajik course either. Duolingo has not announced one. If you want an app, Memrise, Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, Mondly, Drops and Ling all offer Persian, and a simple free plan can teach you فارسی (fârsi) better than any single app.

Below you will find what we checked, why Duolingo probably has no Persian course yet, what a Duolingo-style app tends to get wrong about Persian, a fair look at the apps that do teach it, and a 12-week study plan built from free lessons. There is practice along the way, so you can test yourself as you read.

Does Duolingo have Persian? The facts as of November 2026

We checked Duolingo’s course lists, its April 2025 announcement of 148 new courses, and the fan-run trackers that follow every course change. Here is the short version.

Course lists change, so if you are reading this much later, open the Duolingo app, tap the flag at the top and look at the full list of languages. If Persian appears, it will be listed as Persian or Farsi.

Why is there no Persian on Duolingo?

Duolingo has never published a reason, so anything you read about “why” is an educated guess. Here is what we know and what is likely.

What we know

• Learners have been asking for a Persian course on Duolingo’s forums and on Reddit for years.
• Duolingo now builds courses in-house. Its big April 2025 expansion added 148 courses built with the help of AI, but all of them were the most popular languages (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin) offered to speakers of more interface languages. Persian was not part of it.
• Duolingo already handles right-to-left scripts, since Arabic, Hebrew and Yiddish are on the app.

What is likely

• Priorities. A company that builds courses itself starts with the languages most users ask for. Persian has tens of millions of speakers, but fewer English speakers sign up to learn it than to learn Spanish or Japanese.
• Two Persians in one. Written Persian and everyday spoken Persian differ in many common words. A course has to teach both, or learners end up sounding like a news anchor in a taxi. This is hard to build well in short drill exercises.

Could Duolingo add Persian one day? Possibly. But no one outside the company knows when, and waiting costs you months you could spend learning.

What a Duolingo-style app tends to get wrong about Persian

Short, gamified exercises are good for vocabulary and for keeping a daily habit. Persian, though, has three features that quick tap-the-word drills struggle with. Whatever app you use, make sure you learn these elsewhere too.

1. Written Persian is not what people say

Iranians write in a standard, formal style and speak in a shorter colloquial style. Many apps teach only the written forms. You will be understood, but you will sound bookish, and you may not recognize the spoken forms when people talk to you. Our full guide to spoken vs written Persian lists 36 everyday differences. Here are six you will hear constantly:

Notice the pattern: in speech, ân often becomes un (nân, nun; ân, un), and verbs get shorter. Once you know the patterns, you can understand far more of what you hear.

2. Short vowels are not written

Persian script usually leaves out the short vowels a, e and o. Native speakers read the word from context. A classic example is کرم, which can be read kerm (worm), karam (generosity) or kerem (cream). Apps that show only script, or only transliteration, make this harder. You need audio plus script plus lots of reading, starting with the Farsi alphabet lessons.

3. Politeness and taarof

Persian has a polite “you,” شما (shomâ) Listen, and a familiar “you,” تو (to) Listen, and the choice changes the verb ending. It also has taarof, the ritual politeness where a shopkeeper might say قابل نداره (ghâbel nadâre, spoken: “it’s not worthy of you”) Listen even though you are expected to pay. Translation drills cannot teach you when to insist, when to refuse and when to accept. Read our guide to taarof and Persian politeness before your first visit to an Iranian home.

Can you use Duolingo Arabic to learn the Persian alphabet?

Some learners try this, since Persian is written in a script based on the Arabic one. It helps a little with letter shapes, but it is a detour, and it can teach you habits you then have to unlearn:

• Persian adds four letters that Arabic does not use: پ (p), چ (ch), ژ (zh) and گ (g).
• Pronunciation differs. In Persian, و is usually a v, not a w. The letters ث, س and ص all sound like s, and ذ, ز, ض and ظ all sound like z. Arabic keeps them apart.
• The words are different. Persian borrowed many Arabic words, but the grammar and the everyday vocabulary are Persian. Arabic lessons will not teach you to say سلام، خوبی؟ (salâm, khubi?, “hi, how are you?”) the Iranian way.

You will learn the Persian alphabet faster with a course made for it. Our free alphabet lessons cover every letter with sound and examples, and the online Persian keyboard lets you type what you learn.

Apps that do teach Persian: a fair comparison

These are well-known apps that, as of November 2026, list Persian (Farsi) among their languages. We describe each one only by what it publicly offers. Plans and prices change often, so check current pricing on each app’s own site before you pay. For a longer list, see our guide to the best apps to learn Persian.

What any app can’t do for you

This is true of Duolingo for other languages, and of every Persian app above. Apps are good at vocabulary, review and motivation. They are weak at:

• Free conversation. Choosing your own words in real time is a different skill from picking the right tile.
• Real-speed listening. People speak fast and in spoken forms. You need films, YouTube and podcasts for that. Start with our list of YouTube channels for learning Persian.
• Grammar you can explain. Ezâfe, verb stems and the subjunctive make much more sense with clear explanations and examples.
• Culture. When to say خسته نباشید (khaste nabâshid) Listen to someone who has been working, or how to answer a compliment, comes from people and from good teaching.

A better plan: 12 weeks of Persian with free resources

If you came looking for Duolingo, you probably want something free, short and daily. This plan takes about 20 to 30 minutes a day. Pick one app from the table above for vocabulary review, and use these free lessons for everything else.

Three habits make the plan work:

1. Read and listen together. Always play the audio while you look at the script. This is how you learn which short vowels go where.
2. Speak every day, even if only to yourself. Read each dialogue aloud and then say it again without looking.
3. Test yourself every few weeks. Our free Farsi level test shows what you know and what to review.

If you prefer daily guidance in your inbox, the free Learn Farsi in 100 Days email course gives you one short lesson a day. And if you want everything from beginner to advanced in one place, the Complete Farsi Resources Bundle collects 30 of our books.

Common questions

Does Duolingo have Persian or Farsi?

No. As of November 2026, Duolingo has no Persian (Farsi) course for English speakers, and no course for Dari or Tajik. Duolingo has not announced one. Apps that do teach Persian include Memrise, Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, Mondly, Drops and Ling.

Will Duolingo ever add Persian?

Nobody outside Duolingo knows. Learners have requested it for years, and Duolingo already teaches Arabic, Hebrew and Yiddish, so the script is not the problem. But there is no official plan or date, so it is better to start with another resource now than to wait.

What is the best free app to learn Persian?

Memrise has a Persian course with a free plan and is the closest to Duolingo in feel. Anki is free for flashcards on desktop. For complete lessons with explanations, our free conversation lessons and grammar lessons work well alongside any app.

Can I learn Persian with Duolingo’s Arabic course?

Not really. The scripts are related, but Persian adds four letters (پ، چ، ژ، گ), pronounces several letters differently, and has its own grammar and everyday vocabulary. A course made for Persian is faster.

Is Farsi the same as Persian?

Yes. Farsi is the name of the language in Persian, and Persian is its English name. Dari (in Afghanistan) and Tajik (in Tajikistan) are varieties of the same language. Read more in Farsi vs Persian vs Dari vs Tajik.

Is there a Duolingo for Persian speakers learning English?

Not yet. Duolingo does not currently offer its English course with a Persian interface. An unofficial tracker reported signs in 2026 that one may be in preparation, but nothing has been released or confirmed.

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