Everyday Dari
Speak Dari through the heart of Afghan hospitality. Pick up core greetings, polite table customs, and practical phrases to connect warmly from your first conversation.
Like Duolingo, but for Everyday Dari. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through First Connections and Warm Etiquette and Navigating Real Encounters. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Everyday Dari
- 'Salam' or 'Salam Alaykum' translates literally to 'peace' or 'peace be upon you'
- It acts as the universal foundational opening across Afghanistan, conveying mutual respect and goodwill rather than mere casual chatter
- Words like 'Khuda hafiz' (farewell) or 'Tashakor' (thank you) serve entirely different communicative roles
- Inquiries about health like 'Chetor hastain?' (How are you?) or 'Jor hastain?' (Are you well/healthy?) are a mandatory social preamble in Dari interactions
- Skipping well-being inquiries to get straight down to business feels transactional and rude to Dari speakers
- Attaching 'Jan' (literally 'life/soul') after a name conveys warmth, affection, and friendly respect
- Attaching 'Sahib' after a profession or name marks formal deference, esteem, or professional status
- Using a first name alone without an honorific can sound abrupt or overly blunt in everyday Afghan address
- 'Shuma' is the polite, respectful pronoun for 'you', used as the standard default with elders, guests, and strangers
- 'Tu' is the informal 'you', reserved strictly for very close friends, children, or immediate siblings
- The standard Dari structure to introduce your name is 'Nam-e man [Name] ast' (Literally: 'The name of me is [Name]')
- 'Nam-e' means 'name of', using the ezafe connector to link 'name' with 'man' (me/my)
- 'Bebakhshin' serves as both 'excuse me' and 'sorry' in Dari, covering both physical apologies and getting attention
- 'Tashakor' is the standard Dari word for expressing thanks when receiving goods, service, or a favor
- 'Dast-e shuma dard nakona' translates literally to 'may your hands not ache'
- In Dari culture, this blessing is specifically offered to acknowledge handwork, food preparation, and personal hosting service beyond basic thanks
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Everyday Dari the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What does the greeting 'Salam Alaykum' mean word for word?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
How to learn Everyday Dari, step by step
Go in order. 12 short levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
First Connections and Warm Etiquette
- Welcoming and Daily Greetings
- Gratitude and Afghan Courtesy
- 2
Navigating Real Encounters
- Sharing Tea and Table Customs
- Keeping the Conversation Flowing
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Everyday Dari
How do I learn Everyday Dari?
Go in order: start with First Connections and Warm Etiquette, then Navigating Real Encounters. On Tomo that's 12 short levels, about 24 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Everyday Dari?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Everyday Dari is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Everyday Dari course free?
Yes. Everyday Dari is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Everyday Dari?
12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Everyday Dari?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Everyday Dari is taught in the Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Everyday Dari today.
Download Tomo, search Everyday Dari, and play your first lesson in under a minute.