How to learn Romani: a practical guide

Romani (Romani čhib, Romanes) is the language of the Roma, spoken by millions of people across Europe and beyond. Here is how to start learning it – with or without an app.

1. Choose which Romani you want to learn

Romani is not one uniform language: its dialects differ in vocabulary, grammar and sound, and speakers of distant dialects may struggle to understand each other. Start with the variety spoken by the people you want to talk to. In Czechia and Slovakia that is usually North Central Romani (Slovak Romani); in many other countries it is a Vlax dialect such as Lovari or Kalderash, or a Balkan dialect. Our overview of Romani dialects explains the main groups.

2. Learn the sounds and the spelling

Romani has aspirated consonants – čh, kh, ph, th – pronounced with a short puff of breath. They change meaning: kher means “house”, but ker! means “do!”. North Central Romani also has soft consonants written ď, ť, ň, ľ, as in Czech and Slovak. Learn these early and listen to every new word out loud.

3. Practise a little every day

Ten minutes a day works better than two hours once a week. Spaced review – repeating words just before you would forget them – makes vocabulary stick. That is what the free app Čiriklo does for North Central Romani: 48 short lessons with pictures and audio, daily streaks and a personal training of the words you are forgetting. (Its explanations are in Czech.)

4. Start with phrases you can use

Greetings, introducing yourself, family, numbers, food and the weather come up in every conversation. Learn whole phrases such as Sar sal? (How are you?) and Mištes, paľikerav. (Fine, thank you.) rather than isolated words. Our list of Romani phrases for beginners is a good start.

5. Listen to Romani every week

Romani music is a great way to hear the language. Public broadcasters in Czechia and Slovakia have programmes in Romani, and Romani-language videos and podcasts are easy to find online. Choose material in the dialect you are learning.

6. Use dictionaries and textbooks

• ROMLEX, an online lexical database of Romani dialects with translations into several languages.
• The Romani Project at the University of Manchester, with information on Romani dialects and linguistics.
• Romani–Czech and Romani–Slovak dictionaries and school textbooks of North Central Romani, published in Czechia and Slovakia.
• University programmes in Romani studies, for example at Charles University in Prague and at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra.

7. Talk with speakers – respectfully

Nothing replaces conversation. Many Roma are happy when someone takes an interest in their language, but remember that Romani is a family language for many people and is not always spoken with strangers. Ask, listen and learn the polite forms: older people are traditionally addressed formally.

How long does it take?

With regular daily practice you can greet people, introduce yourself and understand simple sentences within a few weeks. Real conversations take months, and the fastest progress comes from combining an app, a dictionary and time with speakers. If you speak Czech, Slovak or another Slavic language, Romani case endings and its many Slavic loanwords will feel familiar.

Have more questions? Read the FAQ.