R
ReviewerVerified
2 months ago
I love how Duolingo turns learning German into a game I actually want to play. The lessons are perfectly sized for a quick session, the owl reminders keep me consistent, and the new listening exercises feel surprisingly natural. After six months I can read simple news articles, which amazes me for a free app.
Genuinely fun, consistent progress, free
Duolingo made starting Japanese far less intimidating with its colourful, game-like lessons. I have learned a lot of vocabulary and basic sentences in a few weeks. The one thing missing is proper grammar explanation, so I sometimes get answers right without understanding why, and I have to look things up elsewhere.
Approachable, motivating, good vocab drills
Lacks deeper grammar explanations
I tried learning Spanish for years and Duolingo is the first thing that made it stick. The bite-sized lessons fit into my commute and the streak system is dangerously motivating, I am on day 300 now. The little stories and speaking exercises genuinely helped me hold a conversation on holiday.
Addictive streaks, lessons fit a busy day
I had a 400-day streak that vanished because the app failed to register a completed lesson, and a streak freeze I had bought was not applied. Support sent a templated reply and never restored it, which was deflating after that much effort. The learning content is fine, but trust in the streak system is the whole point and it failed me.
Streak lost to a bug, support unhelpful
The gamified format keeps me coming back to practice French every single day, which no textbook ever managed. Lessons are short and the spaced repetition really cements vocabulary. My only complaint is the sheer number of ads on the free tier between lessons, it does push you hard towards Super.
Great habit-builder, smart review system
Too many ads on the free version