For a long time, learning Circassian meant hunting through old textbooks, scattered PDFs and videos. Duolingo has no Circassian course, and Google Translate has neither Kabardian nor Adyghe. The Circassian App was made for that gap: one place to learn both literary forms of the language, Kabardian (East Circassian) and Adyghe (West Circassian), from the first letter to the first conversation. You can try its first lesson right on this page.
What makes an app good for learning Circassian
Circassian is not a language you can pick up from a word list. It has sounds most learners have never made, two literary forms that differ from the first lesson, and a culture that is part of how it is spoken. A good app has to handle all of that. Here is what to look for, and how the Circassian App does it:
Sound in every lesson
Lesson words and phrases come with audio you can replay and slow down. The alphabet has a native speaker’s recording for every letter that has a sound.
Both dialects, never mixed
Kabardian and Adyghe each have their own course, with their own words, audio and alphabet. You choose one and can switch at any time.
A real course, in order
119 lessons in 10 sections, from “hello” to heritage and the diaspora. Words you miss come back in later lessons until they stick.
Culture, not only words
Habze, the Circassian code of conduct, has 16 units of its own: hospitality, respect and family, Nart mythology, weddings, music and dance, traditional dress and more.
Someone to talk to
Two AI tutors answer in Circassian, one for each dialect, and the community chats connect you with Circassians around the world.
Your language, not only English
The whole app works in English, Russian, Turkish or Arabic, so you learn Circassian through the language you think in.
Screenshots from the App Store listing.
Kabardian and Adyghe: one app, two courses
Circassian has two literary forms. Kabardian is spoken in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, Adyghe in the Republic of Adygea, and both live on in Circassian families in Türkiye, Jordan, Syria and beyond. They differ already in the first lesson. Here are the first two lessons of both courses in the app, with the app’s audio:
| English | Kabardian | Adyghe |
|---|---|---|
| hello | ФIэхъусF'eĥus | СэламSelam |
| how are you | Дауэ ущыт?Dawe ushchyt? | Сыд фэдэу ущыт?Syd fedeu ushchyt? |
| good | фIыщf'yshch | дэгъуdeghu |
| and you? | Уэ щэ?We shche? | оры?orə? |
| I am well | СыузыншэщSyuzynsheshch | СыпсауSypsaw |
| goodbye | ФIыкIэF'yk'e | ХъяркIэKhyark'e |
| thank you | УпсэуUpsew | ТхьауегъэпсэуThaweyeghepsey |
| please | кхъыIэkh'yIe | сыолъэIуsyolheIw |
| I understand | КъызгурыIуэQyzguryI'we | КъызгурэIоQyzgureIo |
| I don't understand | КъызгурыIуэркъымQyzguryI'werqym | КъызгурэIорэпQyzgureIorep |
Not sure which one your family speaks? Ask where the family comes from: Kabarda and Cherkessk point to Kabardian; Adygea, and Shapsug or Abzakh families, point to Adyghe. More in Kabardian vs Adyghe: what is the difference?
How it compares with other ways to learn Circassian
Most language apps and translators simply do not cover Circassian. This is what you get from the usual places, checked in October 2026 (more in Is Circassian on Duolingo?):
| Circassian App | Duolingo | Google Translate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kabardian | Course of 119 lessons | No course | Not supported |
| Adyghe | Course of 119 lessons | No course | Not supported |
| Alphabet with sound | All letters, native recordings | No | No |
| Habze and culture | 16 units, 64 lessons | No | No |
| Speaking practice | AI tutors and an audio course | No | No |
Printed dictionaries, classes at Circassian associations and time with older relatives are the best companions to any app. The app gives you what they cannot: a few minutes of practice every day, with sound, wherever you are.
What is inside the app
A course of 119 lessons in each dialect
The course is a path of 10 sections: Foundations, My World, Actions and Time, Describing the World, Daily Life, Going Places, Social Life, Deeper Conversations, Circassian Heritage and a Grand Finale. Each lesson is a few minutes of questions: choose the meaning, hear a word and find it, build a sentence. Mistakes cost a heart; you have five, and one comes back every four hours. Practice and replays never cost hearts.
An audio course for learning by ear
31 lessons in each dialect, narrated in English, Russian, Turkish or Arabic; with the English narrator the Kabardian course runs about 8.5 hours. The narrator tells you what to say, you answer out loud in the pause, then you hear the right answer in Circassian. It keeps playing with the screen off, so it fits a walk or a drive. The first four lessons are free. More on the audio course page.
AI tutors who answer in Circassian
Сэтэней-гуащэ teaches Kabardian and Кызбеч teaches Adyghe. They reply in Circassian, show what it means, and can read their replies aloud. The first four messages are free with a free account.
A dictionary and translator
The Translate screen has a Kabardian dictionary of 24,190 entries from a printed Kabardian–Russian dictionary, plus an Adyghe word list; word lookups work offline. Sentence translation needs a free account and a connection.
Habze lessons
Habze (also written Xabze) is the Circassian code of conduct. Its 16 units of 4 lessons each walk through real situations, from welcoming a guest to speaking with elders, with an explanation after every answer.
Five games to practice with
Practice does not have to look like a lesson. The app has five games. In the two duels and in Horse Race you play against real people; Word Search and Word Rain are yours alone.
Habze DuelA sword duel against a real opponent. Every strike starts with a question about Habze.
Archery DuelAnswer a question in your course's dialect, then aim and shoot. Turn by turn against a real rival.
Horse RaceRight answers make your horse surge ahead. Race a friend or a new rival.
Word SearchFind Circassian words hidden in a grid of Cyrillic letters.
Word RainCatch the right falling word before it lands. Fast vocabulary practice.Free, and what Premium adds
You can learn Circassian in the app for free, with no time limit. Premium is optional.
Free
- All 119 lessons of each course
- The alphabet, with native-speaker recordings
- 64 Habze lessons
- The Kabardian dictionary (24,190 entries)
- The first 4 audio-course lessons
- 4 messages to the AI tutor
- Chats, voice rooms and games
With Premium
- Unlimited hearts: mistakes never pause a lesson
- The full audio course: 31 lessons
- The AI tutor without limits
- Auto-translate in chats, and more
- A Family plan: one yearly plan for up to 6 people
New subscribers get 3 days free. Your app store shows the price in your currency.
What learners say
The app is rated 4.9 out of 5 from 285 ratings on the App Store (October 2026). A few reviews, word for word:
“This app is so wonderful, it’s such a nice, guided and easy way to learn the Circassian language. The audio and the pronunciation of the words are perfect.”
“Everything in the app is actually really good. Feels like a Circassian edition of Duolingo except this is a whole lot cooler and even easier to use and fun to engage in. …”
“It’s super interesting to learn about the Circassian culture. The language is incredibly difficult but the app makes it manageable. My favorite course is the Habze though! …”
“A great app where you can learn Circassian language and Xabze, and meet people from both diaspora and the homeland in there”
Free on iPhone and Android
Start learning Circassian today
Both courses, 119 lessons each, the alphabet, Habze and the audio course. The first lesson needs no account.
4.9 on the App Store 53,000+ people in 100+ countries
FAQ: learning Circassian with an app
What variety of Circassian does the app teach?
Both. Kabardian (East Circassian) and Adyghe (West Circassian) each have their own course of 119 lessons, with audio in every lesson. You pick one and can switch at any time.
Is the app really free?
Yes. All the course lessons, the alphabet and the Habze units are free on iPhone and Android. Premium, an optional subscription, removes the hearts limit and unlocks the full audio course and the AI tutor without limits.
How long will it take me to learn Circassian?
It depends on how much you practice and what you already know, so the app does not promise fluency by a date. With 10 minutes a day you work through short lessons: the alphabet (15 lessons for Kabardian, 11 for Adyghe), then a course of 119 lessons per dialect, from your first hello to the diaspora. If you heard Circassian growing up, a short placement test can skip what you already know.
Do I need to know Russian?
No. The app works in English, Russian, Turkish and Arabic. Pick the one you are comfortable in, and the questions, explanations and translations follow it.
Can a complete beginner use this?
Yes. The app assumes you know nothing. The first lesson teaches hello, how are you and I am well, and the alphabet has its own short lessons, with every sound recorded by a native speaker.
How is this different from Duolingo?
Duolingo does not offer Circassian. The Circassian App uses a similar format, short lessons with audio and spaced repetition, and adds what Circassian learners need: both dialects, the full alphabet with native-speaker recordings, Habze and a community of Circassians.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Lessons, the alphabet, word audio and the dictionary are inside the app, so you can practice on the subway, on a flight, or anywhere without signal. Chats and the AI tutor need a connection.
Is there an audio course or speaking practice?
Yes. The audio course has 31 lessons in each dialect, narrated in English, Russian, Turkish or Arabic, and keeps playing with the screen off. The first four are free and the rest come with Premium. Two AI tutors, Сэтэней-гуащэ for Kabardian and Кызбеч for Adyghe, reply in Circassian with a translation and a voice reply.
Which phones does it run on?
iPhone with iOS 16 or newer (it also runs on iPad) and Android phones with Android 7.0 or newer.
Sources
- Lessons, alphabet, audio course, Habze units, tutors and limits: the Circassian App's own data (version 5.8), checked October 5, 2026.
- Ratings: App Store, 285 ratings in 24 countries, average 4.94. Google Play shows a different average in each country for its 262 ratings (4.6 to 4.9), so it is not combined. Checked October 5, 2026.
- Reviews: App Store and Google Play, quoted word for word.
- Duolingo course list (313 courses, none in Circassian) and Google Translate (no Kabardian or Adyghe), checked October 5, 2026.
- Kabardian language and Adyghe language, Wikipedia.
