Best apps

The best apps to learn European Portuguese for Arabic speakers in 2026

Updated: October 2, 2026

We make Typeflu, so weigh this accordingly. We checked every price and feature on 2 October 2026, and we say plainly when another app is the better choice.

If you are an Arabic speaker moving to Lisbon, Porto or anywhere else in Portugal, you need European Portuguese, not the Brazilian Portuguese most apps teach. That makes the choice hard: in our research we found only one app that teaches European Portuguese with an Arabic interface, and it is small. So this list is honest about the trade-off. If you read English, the best tools are in English. If you do not, your options are few, and we tell you how to combine them.

The picks

1. 1 Practice Portuguese

   Best for

   Anyone moving to Portugal who is comfortable learning in English

   Price

   Some free content (short dialogues and podcast). Premium is €15 a month, with 15% off on yearly plans

   How you practise

   Structured units, short dialogues with audio and transcripts, spaced review, podcast and video

   Practice Portuguese is the strongest option on this list, as long as you can learn in English. Everything is European Portuguese, recorded by speakers from Portugal. You get structured units, a spaced review system, short dialogues called Shorties with audio and transcripts, a podcast, videos and an audio-only Listen and Speak review that works offline. It runs on the web, iOS and Android.

   The catch for this audience: the interface and explanations are in English only, and at €15 a month it costs more than general apps. Quizzes include typed answers, but they are translation-style, not full listen-and-type practice. Practice Portuguese is the better choice than Typeflu if your English is good enough to follow lessons, because it goes much further.

   Visit site: Practice Portuguese ↗

2. 2 Typeflu Made by us

   Best for

   Arabic speakers who want their first steps in European Portuguese explained in Arabic

   Price

   First lesson of every unit free. Pro is €7.50 a month or €49 a year in Europe, local prices elsewhere, half price in many countries

   How you practise

   Listen to a real sentence, type it word by word, fix mistakes letter by letter

   Typeflu is our app, so read this with that in mind. It is the only app we found that teaches European Portuguese with an Arabic interface. You hear a natural sentence with a European Portuguese voice, type it word by word and correct each mistake letter by letter. Every word shows its pronunciation, meaning in Arabic and role in the sentence, and one tap on Explain my mistake tells you in Arabic what went wrong. That matters for European Portuguese, where unstressed vowels almost disappear in speech and spelling is hard to guess by ear.

   Now the honest part: we have only 2 courses, both A1 (everyday words and basics). That is a start, not a path to living in Portugal. There is no speaking or pronunciation scoring, no live tutors and no certificates. It is a web app you install from the browser, not a store app, it is for ages 13 and up, and typing needs your attention. Use it for your first weeks, then move to Practice Portuguese or a tutor. Start with Portuguese basics for Arabic speakers.

   Try Typeflu free

3. 3 italki

   Best for

   Real conversation, and anyone who needs a teacher from Portugal

   Price

   Pay per lesson: community tutors about $4 to $15 an hour, professional teachers about $15 to $60

   How you practise

   One-to-one video lessons with a tutor you choose

   A tutor is the most reliable way to get European Portuguese that fits your life: the forms at the bank, the doctor, your neighbours. On italki you can filter for tutors from Portugal, book single lessons with no subscription, and filter by the languages a tutor speaks, so it is worth searching for one who also knows Arabic. Preply (preply.com) also lists European Portuguese tutors, but bills as a weekly subscription.

   Quality varies from tutor to tutor, and costs add up. Many learners do one or two lessons a week and use an app for the rest.

   Visit site: italki ↗

4. 4 Pimsleur

   Best for

   Learners with good English who want to start speaking hands-free

   Price

   Free first lesson. Subscriptions from about $20 a month in the US

   How you practise

   30-minute audio lessons with prompted speaking

   Pimsleur has a Portuguese (European) course in Levels 1 and 2, about 30 lessons per level. You answer out loud from the first day, and it works while driving or walking. Lessons can be downloaded for offline use. Instructions are in English.

   The European course is short compared with Pimsleur's Brazilian one, the price is high, and there is very little reading or writing. Good for your first months of speaking, not beyond.

   Visit site: Pimsleur ↗

5. 5 Memrise

   Best for

   Short daily vocabulary sessions with clips of real speakers

   Price

   Free tier. Paid Pro plan; prices vary by country, check their site

   How you practise

   Spaced-repetition vocabulary, videos of native speakers and an AI chat (Pro)

   Memrise offers an official Portuguese (Portugal) course, and its interface is available in Arabic among 25+ languages. We could not confirm whether the Portugal course is explained from Arabic, so check inside the app before paying. Its short sessions and real-speaker videos are good for building everyday words.

   It is thin past beginner level and has little sustained listening, so treat it as a vocabulary tool next to something more structured.

   Visit site: Memrise ↗

6. 6 Duolingo

   Best for

   Free basics from Arabic, if Brazilian Portuguese is acceptable to you

   Price

   Free with ads and an energy limit. Super from about $12.99 a month in the US; prices vary by country

   How you practise

   Short game-like lessons: tapping, translating, listening, typing and speaking

   Duolingo teaches Portuguese from Arabic, used by about 240,000 learners, and it is free. The problem for anyone moving to Portugal: Duolingo's Portuguese is Brazilian only. Grammar and most words carry over, but the pronunciation, some everyday vocabulary and how people address each other are different, so you will learn to understand Brazilians first.

   If you only want a free daily habit and plan to switch to European material later, it is fine. If you are moving to Portugal soon, spend your time on European Portuguese from the start.

   Visit site: Duolingo ↗

At a glance

European or Brazilian Portuguese: why it matters

Both are the same language, and a learner of one can follow the other with effort. But if you will live in Portugal, the difference shows up every day. European Portuguese swallows unstressed vowels, so words sound shorter and more closed, and an s at the end of a syllable often sounds like «sh». Some everyday words change: in Portugal breakfast is pequeno-almoço and a train is comboio, while Brazilians say café da manhã and trem. People in Portugal also use tu much more with friends and family. Most big apps, including Duolingo and Babbel, teach only Brazilian Portuguese, which is why this list is short.

How we chose

• European Portuguese first. Apps that teach the Portugal variety rank above Brazilian-only courses.
• Can you learn from Arabic? We checked which apps explain things in Arabic. Only Typeflu does for European Portuguese, as far as we found.
• Depth. How far each option can take you. This is why Typeflu, with 2 A1 courses, is not first.
• Real speech. Recordings by speakers from Portugal and listening practice, because European Portuguese is hard to understand by ear.
• Price. We note free tiers and when prices change by country.

A simple plan if your English is weak

1. Start with Typeflu's two A1 courses to learn core words and sounds with explanations in Arabic.
2. Add Memrise for daily vocabulary, after checking which language its Portugal course is explained in.
3. Book a tutor from Portugal on italki or Preply, ideally one who also knows Arabic, once a week.
4. As your English or Portuguese grows, move to Practice Portuguese for structured lessons.

Who should skip Typeflu

• You need more than A1 European Portuguese now: our catalog stops there.
• You read English well: Practice Portuguese gives you far more.
• You mainly want speaking practice or pronunciation feedback.
• You need a certificate for residency or work.

Which one should you pick?

Pick Practice Portuguese if you can learn in English, it is the most complete European Portuguese option. Pick Typeflu if you want to start in Arabic and train your ear and spelling from day one, knowing it covers A1 only. Pick a tutor on italki or Preply for conversation and help with real situations in Portugal. Pick Pimsleur for hands-free speaking practice in your first months. And use Duolingo only if a free Brazilian course is good enough for now.

We checked every price and feature on this page on October 2, 2026. Prices change and can differ by country, so confirm on each app's own site before you pay.

Practise it

Português Essencial

European Portuguese basics

Greetings, introductions and first sentences

A1 · 3 units · 6 lessons

Português do Dia a Dia

Everyday Portuguese: essential words

People, home, food and getting around

A1 · 3 units · 6 lessons