To learn Bambara, there's no secret: you have to practice.
✓ 7-day free trial • ✓ No commitment • ✓ Certified native teachers
Koumayiri, your Bambara teacher
Regular live classes in small groups. Ask questions, practice conversation, progress fast.
You speak Bambara every week, with a native teacher
You join whichever slot suits you, with nothing to book. The joining link arrives by email, and the session is recorded.
- 4 slots this week, across all three levels
- 2 to 5 students per class, all at your level
- Replay available the same evening, with no time limit
Reconnect with Bambara
The language of your parents, your grandparents or your partner. The one you want to pass on to your children.
- Finally understand what is said at the table, and answer back.
- Your in-laws speak Bambara to you. Answer them in Bambara.
A language is passed down from generation to generation. Now it is your turn.
Start for freeProgress in Bambara between classes, at your own pace
Interactive lessons with native audio, vocabulary, dialogues and quizzes. Everything you need to reinforce your skills between live sessions.
Between classes, you move forward twenty minutes a day
Lessons follow one another in order, with no evening to set aside. Every word is recorded by a native speaker.
- 273 lessons across 43 modules, from beginner to advanced
- Native audio on every word, with a slow-down button
- Your progress is kept, on phone and on computer alike
You hear the language as it is actually spoken
The recordings are made by native speakers, not by a synthetic voice. The slow-down button separates the sounds when it goes too fast.
- Every sentence can be played and slowed down
- The transcription and translation sit under the audio
- You replay it as many times as you need, with no limit
Every module ends with a quiz, not with a ticked box
You are corrected on the spot, with the explanation. A failed quiz can be retaken, with no penalty and no record.
- Immediate correction, with the right answer explained
- An end-of-level test opens the next level
- A level certificate at the end of the course
Your Bambara level, certified in your name
- Issued once you have passed every lesson of a level: beginner, intermediate or advanced
- Downloadable as a PDF and shareable on LinkedIn
- A unique number, verifiable online on targumi.com
- Included in the plans with live classes, from the first payment: it is not issued during the trial
Join Targumi's Bambara community
Dedicated WhatsApp group, exchanges between learners, resource sharing. You're never alone in your learning journey.
Join the support groupFree · No time limit · Native speakers present
Your Bambara curriculum
Exactly what you'll find inside the platform: 43 modules, 273+ structured lessons, quizzes and exercises.
- Buying and Bargaining , Ka san, ka tɛrɛmɛ10 min
- Rice and millet , Malo ni ɲɔ10 min
- + 2 more
- Going and coming , Ka taa, ka na10 min
- Asking for Directions , Sira ɲinini10 min
- Far and near , Ka jan, ka surun10 min
- Days and travel , Don ni taama10 min
- Traveling in Mali , Bamakɔ ni Segu10 min
- + 2 more
- Body Parts , Farikolo10 min
- Feeling Pain, Ka dimi10 min
- At the Doctor's , Dɔgɔtɔrɔso10 min
- Eating healthy, Ka dumu nyuman10 min
- Sleep , Ka sunɔgɔ10 min
- + 2 more
- Day and night , Tile ni su10 min
- The Week , Dɔgɔkun10 min
- Sahelian Seasons — Saaɲɛw10 min
- Time , Lɛri10 min
- Colors and Nature , Ɲɛw10 min
- + 2 more
- At Home , So la10 min
- In the Village , Dugu la10 min
- In the City , Bamakɔ la10 min
- At School, Lakɔli la10 min
- The Country Mali , Mali jamana10 min
- + 2 more
- To Love and to Want , Ka fɛ10 min
- Music and the Griot , Jeli10 min
- In the Village — The Children Play10 min
- Cooking Together , Tobi ɲɔgɔn fɛ10 min
- Playing with Numbers — Jate dɔnkili10 min
- + 2 more
- The Family Name, Jamu10 min
- Respect for Elders , Mɔgɔ kɔrɔw10 min
- Marriage and Children, Furu ni denw10 min
- Mandé Proverbs , Kɔrɔdaw10 min
- Festivals , Salikan ni furu10 min
- + 2 more
- Word Order , SOV10 min
- Aspect Markers , Bɛ, ye, bɛna10 min
- The Possessive , Ka and Inalienable10 min
- The Plural , Suffix -w10 min
- Questions , Wa, mun, jɔn10 min
- + 2 more
- In the house, So kɔnɔ10 min
- Everyday Objects , Fɛnw10 min
- At home , everyday verbs10 min
- Water and cleanliness , Ji ni jɛya10 min
- Work at Home , Baara so kɔnɔ10 min
- + 2 more
- Counting from 1 to 20 , 1 ka 2010 min
- Hundreds and Thousands , Kɛmɛ ni waa10 min
- The Calendar: Don ni dɔgɔkun10 min
- Measuring and counting at the market10 min
- First, Second... Ordinals10 min
- + 2 more
- Introducing someone, Mɔgɔ jirali10 min
- On the Phone , Téléphone10 min
- Work and school , Baara ni lakɔli10 min
- In the Village , Community Life10 min
- Inviting, accepting, declining10 min
- + 2 more
- Domestic animals , Sɔmɔgɔ baganw10 min
- Wild Animals , Foro baganw10 min
- Trees and fruits , Yiriw10 min
- The colors of nature , Ɲɛw10 min
- The Niger River , Joliba10 min
- + 2 more
- The House and the Village , So ni dugu10 min
- Animals , Begɛnw10 min
- Food — Dumuni10 min
- The body , Farikolo10 min
- Jobs , Baarakɛlaw10 min
- + 4 more
- At the restaurant, ordering a meal12 min
- + 2 more
- Agriculture in Mali13 min
- Cotton and Livestock13 min
- At the office, modern vocabulary12 min
- Money and Bargaining12 min
- Occupations in Mali13 min
- + 2 more
- ORTM and Bambara Radio13 min
- Reading the Newspaper13 min
- Television and TV series12 min
- Journalists and press freedom13 min
- Internet and Social Media12 min
- + 2 more
- The Malian Political System14 min
- The Transition in Mali13 min
- The Regions of Mali12 min
- Security in the Sahel13 min
- Democracy and Rights13 min
- + 2 more
- The Malian economy13 min
- Banking and Money Transfers12 min
- Gold and Resources12 min
- Women and the Economy13 min
- The Informal Sector12 min
- + 2 more
- School in Mali13 min
- Learning a language13 min
- Bambara-French bilingualism12 min
- Reading and Writing12 min
- History and oral tradition13 min
- + 2 more
- Mandé Music13 min
- Salif Keita and the Great Voices13 min
- The Festival in the Desert12 min
- Malian Cinema12 min
- Mandé Craftsmanship12 min
- + 2 more
- The Sahelian Climate13 min
- Water, a Precious Resource13 min
- Desertification13 min
- Trees and Flora12 min
- The animals of the Sahel12 min
- + 2 more
- Numbers and Advanced Calculations12 min
- The Human Body12 min
- Traditional Medicine13 min
- Astronomy and the calendar12 min
- Internet and Mobile Phones12 min
- + 2 more
- The Malian Diaspora13 min
- Mali and France13 min
- West Africa United12 min
- Mali and China12 min
- The UN and International Organizations12 min
- + 1 more
- Badenya and Fadenya14 min
- Maaya, Humanity13 min
- Everyday Proverbs13 min
- The Epic of Soundjata14 min
- The griot's word13 min
- + 2 more
- My Goals in Bambara12 min
- Traveling to Mali , Preparation13 min
- Meeting a Family in Bamako13 min
- A Day in Ségou13 min
- Learning by Practice12 min
- + 1 more
- + 2 more
- Bambara in the Media (ORTM)14 min
- Bambara-French Code-Switching13 min
- Regional Bambara (Ségou, Kayes, Sikasso)13 min
- + 2 more
- The Epic of Sundiata Keita (Sunjata Fasa)15 min
- The role of the jeli (griot)14 min
- The Other Mandé Epics14 min
- Oral Poetry and Praise Songs13 min
- The Kurukan Fuga Charter (1236)15 min
- + 2 more
- Sunjata as a child , the cripple who walked14 min
- The Exile of Sundiata14 min
- Soumaoro Kanté, the sorcerer king14 min
- The Battle of Kirina (1235)14 min
- The Jeliw, Masters of the Epic13 min
- + 2 more
- ORTM: The National Voice14 min
- Radio Klédu and the Private Radio Revolution14 min
- The Bambara-language press13 min
- Bambara on Social Media13 min
- Radio chronicles in Bamako13 min
- + 2 more
- The Initiation of Boys (kamalen kunbɔ)14 min
- Female Genital Cutting and the Debate (npogotigi)14 min
- The Engagement (ka furu ɲini)13 min
- The dowry (furu nafolow)14 min
- Civil and Customary Marriage13 min
- + 2 more
- The Malian Constitution14 min
- The Penal Code13 min
- Local Justice (Customary Courts)13 min
- Women's Rights13 min
- Land law (faraban ko)14 min
- + 2 more
- The Mali Empire (13th-15th Centuries)14 min
- Kankou Moussa: The Richest Man14 min
- The Pilgrimage to Mecca (1324)14 min
- Timbuktu and the trans-Saharan trade14 min
- The Kurukan Fuga Charter, early human rights13 min
- + 2 more
- Bambara Animism: The Initiation Societies14 min
- The Islamization of the Mandé14 min
- Sufism: Tijaniyya and Qadiriya14 min
- The Five Pillars and Malian Practice13 min
- Religious Holidays in Mali13 min
- + 2 more
- The Malian Diaspora Around the World14 min
- Bambara Speakers in France: Paris, Montreuil, Bagnolet14 min
- Côte d'Ivoire: 1.5 million Malians13 min
- Senegal and The Gambia: Sahelian neighbors13 min
- Money Transfers: Western Union, Orange Money13 min
- + 2 more
- Cotton, Mali's "White Gold"14 min
- Modern Gold: Africa's 3rd Largest Producer14 min
- Livestock farming and pastoralism13 min
- River Fishing and the Office du Niger13 min
- Industries and Manufacturing in Bamako13 min
- + 2 more
- Bogolan, a Fabric of Identity14 min
- Bambara sculpture: statues, masks13 min
- Malian Cinema: Souleymane Cissé14 min
- Photographer Malick Sidibé13 min
- Banco Architecture: Djenné, Timbuktu13 min
- + 2 more
- Arguing and counter-arguing15 min
- Dissertation: Structure and Examples15 min
- Job Interview in Bambara14 min
- Mandé Proverbs and Bambara Philosophy12 min
- Connectors and elaborate discourse10 min
They talk about us
Learners talk about their journey on Targumi.
4.9 / 5 · Verified learner reviews
Targumi on the radio
Benjamin Maubacq, Targumi’s founder, was a guest on “Grandir ensemble”, a Radio Tamtam Africa programme about languages and how they are passed on.
What you'll learn in Bambara
A curriculum designed to get you speaking Bambara in the situations that actually matter to you.
Start for free- 01Conversational Bambara from Bamako and the surrounding region
- 02Bambara tones: high, low and falling tones explained clearly
- 03Bambara as a lingua franca to communicate across West Africa
- 04Mandingo culture: griots, kora, djembe and the Mali Empire
- 05Bambara for humanitarian workers and NGO staff in the Sahel
- 06Connections between Bambara, Dyula and Mandingo (Mande language family)
Frequently asked questions about learning Bambara
All Bambara resources
Explore our free tools to progress outside of class.
Bambara level test
Assess your CEFR level in 5 minutes. 30-day learning plan included.
Discover →Bambara survival kit
A hundred words and thirty key phrases as a printable PDF, free.
Discover →Bambara cultural quiz
How well do you know Bambara culture? Films, music, traditions.
Discover →Bambara articles
Guides and articles to learn Bambara.
Discover →Bambara vocabulary
Essential words and phrases organized by theme.
Discover →Cultural resources
Podcasts, movies, TV shows and music to progress through immersion.
Discover →Guides to learn Bambara
Bambara Dictionary: 50 Essential Words with Pronunciation
Discover the 50 most important Bambara words with their English translation and pronunciation. Essential basic vocabulary to start speaking Bambara in Mali.
8 min read→Language GuideHow to Say Hello in Bambara: Complete Guide
Master the art of greeting in Bambara! Learn i ni sogoma, i ni che, and essential Manding expressions to connect authentically with Mali's rich cultural heritage.
5 min read→GuideLearn Bambara: Complete Beginner's Guide to Mali's Language
Complete guide to learning Bambara (Bamanankan): grammar basics, essential vocabulary, learning method, and resources. Mali's most spoken language explained step by step.
12 min read→Complete GuideLearn Bambara: A Complete Beginner's Guide
Discover how to learn Bambara easily. Vocabulary, grammar, expressions, Malian culture and interactive learning with Targumi.
15 min read→They are learning Bambara with Targumi
Verified learner testimonials.
4.9 / 5 · Verified learner reviews
“Writing in Bambara was my weak point. Writing exercises helped me progress enormously.”
“After 8 months of Bambara, I read poems in the original and feel the rhythm. I notice it every day.”
“After 5 months of Bambara, I participate in online discussion groups. I didn't think it would be possible this fast.”
“My Bambara let me bargain at the market like a local. Incredible prices and smiles as a bonus.”
“Good Bambara video classes. One connection hiccup, but well handled by the teacher.”
“When I understood a movie in Bambara without subtitles, I took a screenshot to remember the moment.”
“Two friends joined me for Bambara. We almost form a private group now, it's great.”
“Pharmacist, Bambara changed my life: I translate our user manuals and it pays more than expected.”
Start learning Bambara today
Try free for 7 days, every language included.
Launch offer until October 31 at 11:59 pm (Paris time) · Limited number of spots
Reduced price kept for as long as you stay subscribed
- 4 live classes a week with a native teacher: small groups of 3 to 5 people. Practise, ask your questions, improve your pronunciation, and let yourself be guided as you learn the language. No obligation, join in as you wish. There are classes for every level.
- A complete learning platform: learn to build sentences, listen to audio recorded by native speakers, practise with exercises.
- Every live class replay available, the ones held before you signed up and the upcoming ones, with their PDF, available to download.
- Learner discussion groups, with the teachers: practise writing, chat every day.
- Level certificate at the end of each learning path.
- Every language included: over 100 languages, and you switch language whenever you like, at no extra cost.
Launch offer until October 31 at 11:59 pm (Paris time) · Limited number of spots
Reduced price kept for as long as you stay subscribed
- 4 live classes a week with a native teacher: small groups of 3 to 5 people. Practise, ask your questions, improve your pronunciation, and let yourself be guided as you learn the language. No obligation, join in as you wish. There are classes for every level.
- A complete learning platform: learn to build sentences, listen to audio recorded by native speakers, practise with exercises.
- Every live class replay available, the ones held before you signed up and the upcoming ones, with their PDF, available to download.
- Learner discussion groups, with the teachers: practise writing, chat every day.
- Level certificate at the end of each learning path.
- Every language included: over 100 languages, and you switch language whenever you like, at no extra cost.
Launch offer until October 31 at 11:59 pm (Paris time) · Limited number of spots
Reduced price kept for as long as you stay subscribed
- 4 live classes a week with a native teacher: small groups of 3 to 5 people. Practise, ask your questions, improve your pronunciation, and let yourself be guided as you learn the language. No obligation, join in as you wish. There are classes for every level.
- A complete learning platform: learn to build sentences, listen to audio recorded by native speakers, practise with exercises.
- Every live class replay available, the ones held before you signed up and the upcoming ones, with their PDF, available to download.
- Learner discussion groups, with the teachers: practise writing, chat every day.
- Level certificate at the end of each learning path.
- Every language included: over 100 languages, and you switch language whenever you like, at no extra cost.
Want all the content, without the live classes? Platform, every language for $9.50 a month instead of $19, 7-day trial included
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