Speaking Afghan Dari
Learn Dari as it is authentically spoken across Afghanistan, from essential greetings to real-world conversations. Build practical speaking skills, understand core sentence patterns, and navigate Afghan cultural etiquette with confidence.
Like Duolingo, but for Speaking Afghan Dari. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
22 levels across 4 sections, about 44 minutes end to end, roughly 9 days at five minutes a day. It moves through First Encounters and Daily Greetings, Constructing Everyday Speech, Out in the Community, and Deeper Nuance and Conversational Polish. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Speaking Afghan Dari
- 'Salam' or 'Salam alaykum' is the universal opening greeting in Afghanistan, offering peace and respect
- The standard reciprocal response to 'Salam alaykum' is 'Wa alaykum salam' (and unto you peace)
- Placing a right hand over the heart while saying salam is a common Afghan cultural gesture of warmth and sincerity
- 'Chetor asten?' means 'How are you?' (polite/formal) and 'Khob astum, tashakor' means 'I am well, thank you'
- 'Khob asten?' translates directly to 'Are you well?' and is commonly answered with 'Baleh, shukr' (Yes, thanks to God) or 'Khob astum'
- The suffix '-en' indicates polite/plural address (asten = you are), while '-um' indicates the speaker (astum = I am)
- 'Nam-e ma' means 'my name' in Afghan Dari
- 'Ast' is the third-person verb meaning 'is', placed at the very end of the sentence
- The basic Dari identity structure follows: [Subject] + [Name] + ast
- 'Khoda hafez' literally means 'May God protect you' and is the standard way to say goodbye in Dari
- 'Tashakor' is used to thank someone, while 'Lotfan' means 'please'
- Departing without offering 'Khoda hafez' is considered abrupt in Afghan etiquette
- The Dari 'kh' sound is produced at the back of the throat with friction, identical to the Scottish 'ch' in 'loch' or Spanish 'j'
- Saying a plain 'k' instead of 'kh' can distort basic Dari words like 'khob' (well/good)
- Afghan Dari distinguishes clearly between throat sounds (like 'kh' and 'q') and standard English stops
- 'Shoma' is the formal/polite Dari pronoun for 'you', used with elders, strangers, and people you respect
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 Speaking Afghan 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.
Someone smiles and greets you with 'Salam alaykum.' How do you politely return the greeting?
Get it right to open this lesson and 21 more in the app.
How to learn Speaking Afghan Dari, step by step
Go in order. 22 short levels across 4 sections, about 44 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
First Encounters and Daily Greetings
- First Words and Warm Greetings
- Courtesy, Respect, and Social Etiquette
- 2
Constructing Everyday Speech
- Building Sentences with Pronouns and 'To Be'
- Daily Actions and Present Tense
- 3
Out in the Community
- Shopping and Bargaining in the Bazaar
- Afghan Hospitality and Sharing Meals
- 4
Deeper Nuance and Conversational Polish
- Recounting Experiences and Conversational Fluency
4 sections · 7 units · 22 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Speaking Afghan Dari
How do I learn Speaking Afghan Dari?
Go in order: start with First Encounters and Daily Greetings, then Constructing Everyday Speech, then Out in the Community, then Deeper Nuance and Conversational Polish. On Tomo that's 22 short levels, about 44 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 Speaking Afghan Dari?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Speaking Afghan Dari is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Speaking Afghan Dari course free?
Yes. Speaking Afghan 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 Speaking Afghan Dari?
22 levels across 4 sections, about 44 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 Speaking Afghan 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
Speaking Afghan 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 Speaking Afghan Dari today.
Download Tomo, search Speaking Afghan Dari, and play your first lesson in under a minute.