Why learn Malagasy?
Malagasy is the national language of Madagascar, spoken by around 25 million people. A remarkable fact: it is an Austronesian language, related to the languages of Borneo rather than to the languages of neighboring Africa — a legacy of the seafarers who crossed the Indian Ocean more than a thousand years ago.
Whether you are a child of the diaspora, married into a Malagasy family, or preparing a trip to the Great Island, Dialect gives you the tools to understand and be understood — in Antananarivo as well as around the family table.
The Dialect Method
Our app combines playful learning with linguistic rigor:
- Essential vocabulary: learn the words most used in everyday life.
- Clear audio on every word: listen to the pronunciation of every word and every example sentence, as many times as you need.
- Interactive quizzes: test your knowledge and track your progress.
- Review mode: never lose what you've already learned.
The Science Behind Dialect
To be among the best educational resources, Dialect builds on cognitive neuroscience principles:
- Spaced Repetition System (SRS): our algorithm calculates the optimal time to review each word, right before you would forget it.
- Auditory immersion: every word and every example sentence comes with clear audio, so your ear calibrates from session one.
- Granular learning: we break the language into manageable units to prevent cognitive overload.
Malagasy in a few facts
- Language family: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian branch — related to the languages of Borneo, not to the neighboring African languages.
- Speakers: around 25 million.
- Main regions: Madagascar (national language), with a large diaspora in France, Réunion, and Mayotte.
- Reference variety: Merina, spoken on the highlands around Antananarivo, the basis of official Malagasy.
- Writing system: Latin alphabet, adopted in the 19th century.
Official Malagasy, based on Merina, is taught in schools and understood across Madagascar, alongside regional varieties (Betsimisaraka, Sakalava, Antandroy…). The language has a rich oral tradition — proverbs, tales, the art of ceremonial speech known as kabary — and a written literature since the 19th century.
10 everyday Malagasy words
The vocabulary people actually use at home or at the market. The right-hand column gives the full sentence in Malagasy, exactly as it appears in the app.
| English | Malagasy | Example |
|---|---|---|
| water | rano | Misotro rano aho |
| to eat | misakafo / mihinana | Efa nisakafo izahay |
| to drink | misotro | Misotro rano aho |
| home | trano | Ao an-trano aho |
| mother | reny / neny | Mahandro ny neniko |
| father | ray / dada | Miasa ny dadako |
| child | zaza | Milalao ny zaza |
| market | tsena | Andao ho any an-tsena |
| tomorrow | rahampitso | Handeha isika rahampitso |
| a lot | betsaka | Misaotra betsaka |
Malagasy is not an African language: it is Austronesian, related to Ma'anyan of Borneo, 7,000 km away. The verb opens the sentence, before object and subject.
How Dialect makes learning Malagasy easier
Many children of the Malagasy diaspora share the same experience: you understand the conversations at home, you recognize Neny's and Dada's words, but you don't dare answer. Structured resources are rare, and often aimed at linguists rather than families. Dialect was built precisely to address these obstacles.
Specifically for Malagasy, the app provides:
- Progress by frequency of use: you first learn words and phrases you will actually hear at a family meal, on a call to Madagascar, or on a trip back home.
- Clear audio on every word: every word and every example sentence can be played and replayed as many times as you need, to anchor the pronunciation.
- Short sessions (5 cards a day): designed to fit into a routine, not replace it. Consistency beats intensity for long-term memory.
- Smart review: the spaced repetition algorithm presents each word right before you would forget it.
The goal is not just to know words, but to hold a simple conversation with your grandparents, your cousins in Antananarivo, or your in-laws — and to pass the language to the next generation.
Hello, thank you and essential phrases in Malagasy
Looking to say hello in Malagasy, thank you or how are you? Here are the must-know greetings and polite phrases. Tap Listen to hear the pronunciation of each one:
| English | Malagasy | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | manao ahoana / salama | |
| Hi | salama | |
| Thank you | misaotra | |
| Please | azafady | |
| Yes | eny | |
| No | tsia | |
| Goodbye | veloma | |
| How are you | manao ahoana ianao | |
| I'm fine | salama tsara |
Clear audio on every word. For full pronunciation, offline access and hundreds of words, download the Dialect app or open the web app on desktop.
Frequently asked questions about learning Malagasy
How do you say hello in Malagasy?
In Malagasy, "hello" is "Manao ahoana"; among family and friends you can also say "Salama". Hear the pronunciation of every word in the Dialect app.
Is Malagasy an African language?
No — and it is one of the most striking facts in linguistics: Malagasy is an Austronesian language, related to the languages of Borneo (Malayo-Polynesian branch), not to the languages of the neighboring African continent. It has been written in the Latin alphabet since the 19th century.
How long does it take to learn the basics of Malagasy?
With Dialect, practicing 5 to 10 minutes a day, you can master essential Malagasy vocabulary in 4 to 6 weeks. Consistency matters more than session length: our spaced repetition algorithm optimizes long-term memorization.
Is the Dialect app free?
Dialect is free to start: every day you get one session, one quiz and the Greetings lesson of the Path. Premium unlocks everything.
Do I need to know any Malagasy to start?
No. Dialect is designed for complete beginners as well as those who understand Malagasy without daring to speak it.
Is Dialect available on Android?
Yes. The app is on Google Play. On desktop, Dialect runs directly in your browser through the web app (mydialect.io/app): same languages, same audio, same account. The native app is available on iPhone and iPad from the App Store.
Learning Malagasy: the essentials
Neither Duolingo, nor Babbel, nor Memrise offers a Malagasy course. It exists on uTalk, which teaches vocabulary and phrases rather than a structured course, and through a handful of private tutors — the offering stays thin. Dialect covers Malagasy with 308 words and phrases and 608 audio files in one consistent voice throughout, grouped by theme and reviewed with spaced repetition. The app is free for one session per day per language, on iPhone, iPad, Android and the browser.
Discover other languages on Dialect
Dialect offers many heritage languages to reconnect with your roots:
Start for free, today
Free daily session. On iPhone via the App Store, on Android via Google Play, or straight in the browser on desktop.
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On a computer?
Open the web application