# Best free resources to learn Esperanto (2026)

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/learn/resources/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-29

> A free 12-lesson course here, plus Duolingo, lernu.net, Esperanto12, Kurso de Esperanto, podcasts and Pasporta Servo: free Esperanto resources compared.

The best free start is **one structured course** – our [12-lesson course](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/course/), Esperanto12, lernu.net, Kurso de Esperanto or Duolingo – plus **one way to talk to people**, such as our [conversation circles](/talk/), other online meetings or a local club. Add a graded reader and a podcast once you know the basics. Almost everything below is free; paid textbooks are marked. How fast you will progress is discussed on [How long does it take to learn Esperanto?](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/how-long/)

## Comparison at a glance

| Resource | Type | Interface languages | Best for | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esperantopedia | Web course, grammar, dictionary, tools | 17 | A complete free path in one place: 12 lessons, full grammar, a dictionary and flashcards | New in 2026; the app and live conversations are only just starting |
| Duolingo | App course | English, Spanish, Portuguese, French | A daily habit and basic vocabulary | Short sentences, little explanation, no real conversation |
| lernu.net | Website: course, grammar, dictionary, forum | About 40 | A full course with stories and grammar | Some older courses were removed in redesigns |
| Esperanto12 | Web course, 12 lessons | Many | The fastest overview of grammar and 500 key words | Short; you need a longer course afterwards |
| Kurso de Esperanto | Computer program, 12 lessons | More than 20 | Learning offline with audio and exercises | Must be installed on a computer |
| *Pasporto al la tuta mondo* | Video course, 15 lessons | Esperanto only | Listening, direct method | Early-2000s production |
| *Ana Pana* | Text course, 8 parts | Varies | Short dialogues for beginners | Hard to find since it left lernu.net |
| Textbooks and readers | Books | Varies | Depth and structure | Good textbooks cost money |
| YouTube and podcasts | Video and audio | Esperanto | Real speech, culture | Quality varies; few are made for beginners |
| Amikumu | App to find speakers nearby | Many languages | Meeting people locally | Few users in many areas |
| Pasporta Servo | Hosting network | Esperanto | Practising while travelling | You need conversational Esperanto |
| Telegram, Discord, Reddit | Chat groups and forums | Esperanto and English | Quick questions, daily practice | Busy, uneven quality |
| Vikipedio | Encyclopedia | Esperanto | Reading practice on any topic | Encyclopedic style, varied quality |

## Courses

### Esperantopedia

Our [free course](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/course/) has **12 lessons of 30–45 minutes**, each with an original dialogue, a word list, grammar tables and over 230 self-checking exercises in total. It links to the full [grammar reference](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/), the [dictionary](https://esperantopedia.org/dictionary/) and the [first 100 words](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/vocabulary/). Everything works in the browser, also on a phone. What it does not offer yet is conversation practice, so add one of the speaking options below.

### Duolingo

Duolingo launched its Esperanto course for English speakers on **28 May 2015**. Courses followed for Spanish speakers (beta from 26 October 2016), Portuguese speakers (beta from 14 May 2018) and French speakers (beta from 14 July 2020). By March 2020 the courses had about 2.8 million users. The volunteer team worked with the Academy of Esperanto's teaching-materials section.

Duolingo is good for building a routine and basic vocabulary. It explains grammar only briefly and offers little practice with real conversation, so pair it with a [grammar reference](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/) and speaking practice. A closer look is on [Is Duolingo enough?](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/duolingo/)

### lernu.net

lernu.net is a free multilingual learning site run by the organisation E@I, online since **21 December 2002**. It offers a full course built around the story *La teorio Nakamura* by Anna Löwenstein, a grammar reference, a dictionary, a library of texts and audio, and a forum. It had 320,000 registered accounts in 2018. The interface exists in about 40 languages, though some translations are incomplete.

### Esperanto12

Esperanto12 is a free web course with **12 lessons**, based on the Zagreb method by Zlatko Tišljar, Spomenka Štimec, Ivica Špoljarec and Roger Imbert (website by Georg Jähnig), each with a text, a short grammar explanation and three exercises. It is the online edition of the Zagreb-method course, whose content is open on GitHub. It teaches the 500 most important words and needs no sign-up. It is the quickest way to see the whole language system; after it, move to a longer course or to reading. The 100 words you will meet most often are listed on [our vocabulary page](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/vocabulary/).

### Kurso de Esperanto

Kurso de Esperanto is a free computer program for Windows, Mac and Linux, written by Carlos Alberto Alves Pereira, a former president of the Brazilian Esperanto League. It has **12 lessons** with pronunciation and listening exercises and songs, and offers a free tutoring service. It is available in more than 20 languages.

### *Pasporto al la tuta mondo*

This video course was produced for the Esperanto League for North America and released in 2002, according to Esperanto Wikipedia. It has **15 half-hour lessons**, entirely in Esperanto, following the Bonvolo family and their guests. It now circulates free online. It suits learners who like the direct method and want to train their ear.

### *Ana Pana*

*Ana Pana* is a short beginner course in **eight parts**: greetings, Ana herself, family, hobbies, weather, studies, a long trip and languages. Its language was checked by a commission of the Academy of Esperanto. It was one of the beginner courses on the old lernu.net. Today the dialogues can be found on LingQ and in the archived version of lernu.

## Books

Our [reading list](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/reading-list/) sorts 18 books by level and shows which ones you can legally read for free.

- ***Complete Esperanto*** by Tim Owen and Judith Meyer (Teach Yourself, 2018) – a paid textbook that takes you from beginner to about level B1–B2.
- ***Gerda malaperis!*** by Claude Piron (1983) – a short mystery story full of simple everyday dialogues, written for learners.
- ***La teorio Nakamura*** by Anna Löwenstein (2018) – the lernu.net course story as an illustrated book for levels A1–B1; paid.
- **PMEG** (*Plena Manlibro de Esperanta Gramatiko*) by Bertilo Wennergren – a complete reference grammar, free online, written in Esperanto.
- ***Fundamento de Esperanto*** (1905) – the original grammar and word list, free on the Academy's website. Historic, not a course.

## Video, podcasts and radio

- **YouTube:** Evildea (Richard Delamore) was one of the most active Esperanto video bloggers until 2025, when he moved mainly to English-language videos on language learning; *Pasporto al la tuta mondo* is also on YouTube. Search for "Esperanto" plus a topic to find more.
- **kern.punkto** – a podcast by Johannes Mueller and Eva Fitzelová since 2014, about technology, travel and science, under a CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.
- **Muzaiko** – Esperanto internet radio since 1 July 2011; since 2022 mainly a 24-hour stream of music from its archive.
- **Radio Verda** – a pioneering audio magazine from Vancouver (1998–2013); many episodes are archived on YouTube.

Podcasts become useful once you know the basics. Start with topics you already know well, so context helps you follow.

## Speaking practice

- Our **[conversation circles](/talk/)** are small online groups led by volunteers: up to 8 people, 45 minutes, for beginners (A1–A2) and for those who already speak (B1+); people aged 18 and over can take part. On the same page you can also ask an advisor – a volunteer who answers questions about Esperanto and the course in your messages.
- **Amikumu** is a phone app, launched on 22 April 2017, that shows people nearby who speak or learn the same languages. In 2022 about 60% of its members spoke Esperanto at some level.
- **Pasporta Servo** is a free hosting network run by the World Esperanto Youth Organization (TEJO) since 1974. In 2026 it listed more than **2,400 hosts in 121 countries**. Guests and hosts speak Esperanto together. How it works: [Pasporta Servo](https://esperantopedia.org/about/pasporta-servo/).
- **Online communities:** Telegram groups, Discord servers and the Reddit forum r/Esperanto are places to ask beginner questions and chat in Esperanto.

More ideas, including events and clubs, are on [How to learn Esperanto](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/how-to-learn/).

## Reading

**Vikipedio**, the Esperanto Wikipedia, had **389,654 articles** on 11 October 2026. Read articles on topics you know well, and use a dictionary for the rest – see our [dictionary page](https://esperantopedia.org/dictionary/). To pick one, compare the [Best Esperanto dictionaries](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/dictionaries/) for online use, apps and print. For graded texts, start with *Gerda malaperis!* and the stories on lernu.net.

## Common questions

### What is the best app to learn Esperanto?

Our free [Saluton course](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/course/) and [flashcards](https://esperantopedia.org/tools/flashcards/) work in the browser on any phone, with nothing to install. Among store apps, Duolingo is the most widely used, with courses from English, Spanish, Portuguese and French; it explains grammar only briefly, so combine it with a course that does.

### Is Duolingo enough to learn Esperanto?

No. Duolingo builds vocabulary and habits, but you also need natural listening and conversation. Conversation circles, online groups and events fill that gap.

### Can I learn Esperanto completely for free?

Yes. All courses above except the printed textbooks are free, and so are the main dictionaries and the reference grammar PMEG.

### What should I read first in Esperanto?

*Gerda malaperis!* by Claude Piron, written for learners, is the classic first book. After that, try short Vikipedio articles on familiar topics.

## Sources

- [Vikipedio: Duolingo (course dates)](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duolingo)
- [Libera Folio: Kie estas la Duolinganoj? (31 March 2020)](https://www.liberafolio.org/2020/03/31/kie-estas-la-duolinganoj/)
- [Vikipedio: lernu!](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lernu!) and [Wikipedia: Esperanto – Internet resources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto#Internet_resources)
- [lernu.net](https://lernu.net/)
- [Esperanto12](https://esperanto12.net/en/) and [the Zagreb-method course on GitHub](https://github.com/Esperanto/kurso-zagreba-metodo)
- [Kurso de Esperanto](http://www.kurso.com.br/) and [Vikipedio: Kurso de Esperanto](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurso_de_Esperanto)
- [Vikipedio: Pasporto al la tuta mondo](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasporto_al_la_tuta_mondo)
- [LingQ: Ana Pana](https://www.lingq.com/en/learn-esperanto-online/courses/128268/)
- [Hachette: Complete Esperanto](https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/tim-owen/complete-esperanto/9781473669222/)
- [Esperanto UK: La teorio Nakamura](https://esperanto.org.uk/news/shop/launch-offer-la-teorio-nakamura/)
- [Vikipedio: Gerda malaperis!](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerda_malaperis!)
- [Vikipedio: Evildea](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evildea), [kern.punkto](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kern.punkto), [Muzaiko](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzaiko), [Radio Verda](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Verda)
- [Wikipedia: Amikumu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amikumu) and [Vikipedio: Amikumu (aplikaĵo)](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amikumu_(aplika%C4%B5o))
- [Pasporta Servo](https://www.pasportaservo.org/)
- [Vikipedio: Statistics](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speciala:Statistikoj)