Speaking Pashto
Like Duolingo, but for Speaking Pashto. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
24 levels across 4 sections, about 48 minutes end to end, roughly 10 days at five minutes a day. It moves through First Exchanges and Daily Courtesy; The Sounds and the Script; Building Sentences and Handling Daily Life; and Actions, Time, and Fluent Phrasing. It starts from scratch.
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Key ideas in Speaking Pashto
- 'Salam Alaykum' (peace be upon you) is the compulsory opening for Pashto greetings
- The standard reciprocating reply is 'Wa Alaykum Salam' (and unto you peace)
- Jumping straight to questions without exchanging Salam is considered jarring and impolite
- 'Sanga ye?' asks 'how are you?' and typically expects 'Kha yam' (I am fine)
- 'Jur ye?' inquires after health/soundness and is commonly answered with 'Shukr' or 'Kha yam'
- Pashto answers to wellbeing inquiries almost always remain modest and invoke gratitude
- Pashtun etiquette (Pashtunwali) emphasizes deep, layered inquiries about household ('kor'), health, and family
- Cutting a greeting short to get directly to business is viewed as cold or disrespectful
- A typical opening exchange involves multiple back-and-forth checks on wellbeing
- 'Manana' is the standard, indispensable Pashto word for 'thank you'
- Welcoming guests with 'Pakhayr' calls for warm appreciation, cementing goodwill
- Expressing gratitude promptly is a vital courtesy when receiving hospitality
- 'Da Allah paman' literally means 'in God's care' and serves as the universal farewell
- Departing without invoking a protective parting blessing leaves interactions abruptly unfinished
- 'Da Allah paman' is spoken by both the person leaving and the person remaining
- Melmastia obligates the host to honor and serve the guest unconditionally
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 Pashto 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.
When someone greets you with 'Salam Alaykum', what is the standard reply?
Get it right to open this lesson and 23 more in the app.
Where Speaking Pashto takes you
Unlock the rich language of Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Learn practical everyday conversations, master the unique script and sounds, and understand the cultural codes of hospitality.
- 1
First Exchanges and Daily Courtesy
- Everyday Greetings and Essential Courtesies
- Navigating Hospitality and Respect
- 2
The Sounds and the Script
- Mastering Pashto Sounds and Dialects
- Reading the Pashto Alphabet
- 3
Building Sentences and Handling Daily Life
- Word Order, Noun Gender, and Cases
- Numbers, Shopping, and the Bazaar
- 4
Actions, Time, and Fluent Phrasing
- Action Verbs and Present Tense
- The Past Tense and the Ergative Twist
4 sections · 8 units · 24 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Speaking Pashto is taught in the 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 Pashto today.
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