Conversational Malagasy for traveling in Madagascar
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Austronesian grammar: active, passive and circumstantial voices
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Malagasy pronunciation and phonetics (Latin alphabet)
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Malagasy culture: fihavanana, famadihana, hira gasy and kabary
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Business and tourism Malagasy in Antananarivo
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Nature and biodiversity vocabulary in Malagasy
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about learning Malagasy
No, and that is its most remarkable feature. Malagasy is an Austronesian language, related to Malay, Indonesian and Tagalog. The ancestors of the Malagasy people sailed from Borneo (Southeast Asia) about 1,500 years ago. Malagasy subsequently absorbed loanwords from Bantu languages, Arabic and French, but its grammatical structure remains fundamentally Austronesian. It is the only language of this family spoken on the African continent.
Malagasy is relatively accessible for English speakers. It uses the Latin alphabet, pronunciation is regular and phonetic, and there are no tones. The main challenge is grammar: Malagasy uses a verbal voice system (active, passive, circumstantial) very different from English. Word order is also different (verb-object-subject instead of subject-verb-object). However, with regular practice and a native tutor, most learners reach basic conversational level in 4 to 6 months with regular classes.
While French is co-official in Madagascar, only 20 to 25% of the population speaks it fluently, mainly in cities. In rural areas, markets, villages and most daily interactions, Malagasy is essential. Speaking Malagasy radically transforms the experience: Malagasy people are deeply touched when a foreigner ('vazaha') makes the effort to speak their language, opening doors that would otherwise remain closed. For tourism, local business or humanitarian work, Malagasy is a major asset.
Malagasy has about twenty dialectal varieties, but all are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Official Malagasy (based on the Merina dialect of the capital Antananarivo) is understood everywhere. The main dialects are Merina (highlands), Sakalava (west), Betsileo (southern highlands), Betsimisaraka (east coast) and Antandroy (south). At Targumi, we teach official Malagasy (Merina) which will allow you to communicate throughout the country.
The similarities are striking. Basic vocabulary shares many roots: 'rano' (water) in Malagasy corresponds to 'air' in Malay (same proto-Austronesian root), 'maty' (dead) corresponds to 'mati', 'lanitra' (sky) to 'langit'. The system of verbal prefixes and suffixes is similar. A Malay speaker can recognize familiar grammatical structures in Malagasy. These connections testify to an extraordinary maritime migration 1,500 years ago across the Indian Ocean.
Yes, increasingly so. Madagascar is a hub for French-speaking call centers, the textile industry, gemstone mining, eco-tourism and vanilla (world's largest producer). NGOs and international organizations in Madagascar (over 200) seek profiles who speak Malagasy. For entrepreneurs, investors and consultants working with Madagascar, speaking Malagasy is a powerful differentiator that opens partnerships otherwise impossible.
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for 7 days, then $24.50 per month instead of $49
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.
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for 7 days, then $49.50 per quarter instead of $99
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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.
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