OkumaVapurda bir simit
A simit on the ferry
Turkish you actually want to learn
Stories, news and conversations at your level, no boring drills.
otobüs bus
Try it right here
Tap any word
This is an A1 text from the app. Tap a word to see what it means and what its ending does. No dictionary in the next tab.
- Pick a text. One from the library, a new one on your topic, or an article from a link.
- Read and listen. Translate a word or a whole sentence, and ask about grammar right there in the text.
- Words come back. Everything you look up comes back for review when it’s due.
Hundreds of texts from A1 to C1
Bakeries, football matches, trains, the Bosphorus and Cappadocia. New texts arrive every day.
Starting from zero
Start with the sounds and letters
The complete A1 course: 16 stages, about 550 words. Each stage brings new words, one grammar rule in plain English, phrases and a short dialogue. The exercises only ask for what’s already been explained.
- Sounds and letters. How ı differs from i, and how to read ğ.
- Grammar in small bites. One ending at a time, with examples.
- Know the basics already? A short test finds your level, and you can skip the stages you already know.
Conversations
Order tea, see a doctor, haggle at the market
20 scenes from life in Türkiye. First you hear how the conversation goes, then you answer out loud. The character responds to what you say, and at the end you see how it went.
Chat
A seller, a doctor or a plumber texts you in Turkish and you reply. At the end you see each mistake and how to say it better.
Describe a picture
Look at a scene from life in Türkiye and describe it out loud. The feedback shows what you named and what you missed.
Pronunciation
Practice for the sounds English doesn’t have, and phrases from your own texts to build and say out loud.
Every day
Open the app and know where to start
The Today screen shows a plan for your level: a course step, a text, audio, a conversation and words to review. No need to decide what to do. One step keeps your streak going.
Also in Okuma
Audio, news and phrases for life in Türkiye
Audio lessons
Listen to dialogues, voice messages and explanations, then answer questions and do a short dictation.
News from Türkiye
Every day a story from Turkish outlets, retold at your level. No war, crime or politics.
Phrases for real life
16 situations, from the pharmacy and a taxi to renting a flat and a residence permit. Short lessons with the words and phrases you’ll need.
Words
No word gets lost
Every word you look up goes into your word list. Practice picks the ones that are due, and the tasks get harder step by step: choose the meaning, build the word from letters, write it down as you hear it. Get it wrong and the word comes back sooner.
Write it in Turkish
a sesame bread ring
çğıöşü
For example, when simit comes back, in days
0recognise
1recall
3by ear
7in a text
16write
35dictation
60known
Start for free
No ads and no card. You can create an account later, when you want to keep your progress.
- The whole A1 course
- The text library
- Tap translation and your word list
- News of the day
- New texts, audio and conversations every day
Okuma Plus
Removes the daily limits and unlocks chats with characters, describing pictures, the full news feed and all 16 phrase packs.
Pricing →Questions
The short version
Do I need to sign up?
No. Tap “Start for free” and begin right away. Later you can sign up with email or Google to keep your progress and use it on all your devices.
I’m a complete beginner. Is it for me?
Yes. Start with the course: the first stage is sounds and letters, then each stage brings new words and one rule. Simple A1 texts start to make sense after just a few stages.
What if I already know some Turkish?
Take a short level test, and texts will be picked to match it. Course stages you already know can be passed with a test instead of doing them again.
Who am I talking to?
An AI playing a character: a waiter, a doctor, a seller. It stays in its scene and responds to what you say. It’s practice, there’s no live teacher in the app.
Can I read my own texts?
Yes. Paste a text or a link to an article, and you can tap any word in it too. The words you look up go into your word list.
Do I need to download anything?
No, Okuma works in the browser on your phone and computer. On a phone you can add it to the home screen, and it opens like an app.
Where do the texts come from?
An AI writes them for your level and topic, and we check that the words fit the level. The news is real: stories from Turkish outlets, retold more simply, with the date and a link to the source.
What language are the explanations in?
English: translations, rules and hints. You can switch the app to Russian in the settings.
Is there A2?
The A1 course is complete. The A2 stages are already on the course map and open next. The library has texts up to C1.
Is it free?
Yes. The course, the library, your words and a few new texts, audio lessons and conversations a day are free, with no ads and no card. If you want more, there’s Okuma Plus: pricing.