🇱🇰Sri Lanka
To learn Sinhalese, there's no secret: you have to practice.
Rich content availableLive classes includedCommunity of motivated learners
★★★★★Trustpilot
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee • ✓ No commitment • ✓ Certified native teachers
Live classes
Learn Sinhalese live with a native teacher
Regular live classes in small groups. Ask questions, practice conversation, progress fast.
Live classes
You speak Sinhalese every week, with a native teacher
You book whichever slot suits you. 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
Live classes
Sinhalese live classes
Live classes every week, in small groups, at all three levels. The second beginner slot repeats the theme of the first: miss one, you still have the other.
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Week of
Aug 31 – Sep 6, 2026
Mon31
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Tue1
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Wed2
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Thu3
Fri4
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Sat5
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Sun6
The platform
Progress in Sinhalese 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.
The platform
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.
- 160 lessons across 41 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
Audio
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
Quizzes
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
The community
Join Targumi's Sinhalese community
Dedicated WhatsApp group, exchanges between learners, resource sharing. You're never alone in your learning journey.
Start for freeFree · Lifetime access · Native speakers present
Full program
Your Sinhalese curriculum
Exactly what you'll find inside the platform: 41 modules, 160+ structured lessons, quizzes and exercises.
🇱🇰
Sinhalais Débutant
👋ආයුබෝවන් — Salutations
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👤සර්වනාම — Pronoms personnels
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👨👩👧පවුල — La famille
- සීයා සහ ආච්චි , Grand-père et grand-mère10 min
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🔢ඉලක්කම් — Les nombres de 1 à 10
- එක දෙක තුන , De 1 à 310 min
- හතර පහ , Quatre et cinq10 min
- හය හත අට , Six, sept, huit10 min
- නවය දහය , Neuf et dix10 min
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🔢ඉලක්කම් (දිගටම) — Nombres au-delà de 10
- විස්ස සහ සියය , Vingt et cent10 min
- Combinaisons numériques10 min
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🎨වර්ණ — Les couleurs
- රතු සුදු කළු , Rouge, blanc, noir10 min
- නිල් කොළ කහ , Bleu, vert, jaune10 min
- Décrire avec les couleurs10 min
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🧍ශරීරය — Le corps humain
- ඉස ඇහ කන , Tête, œil, oreille10 min
- කට නාසය දත , Bouche, nez, dent10 min
- අත කකුල හෘදය , Main, pied, cœur10 min
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🐘සතුන් — Les animaux
- බල්ලා පූසා , Chien et chat10 min
- එළදෙන එළුවා , Vache et chèvre10 min
- කුරුල්ලා මාළුවා ඇතා , Oiseau, poisson, éléphant10 min
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🍚ආහාර — La nourriture
- වතුර කිරි තේ , Eau, lait, thé10 min
- බත් පාන් මස් , Riz, pain, viande10 min
- ලුණු සීනි බිත්තර , Sel, sucre, œuf10 min
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🥥පළතුරු එළවලු — Fruits et légumes
- පළතුරු එළවළු පොල් , Fruits, légumes, coco10 min
- මාලු , Poisson et mer10 min
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🏠ස්ථාන — Les lieux
- ගෙදර කාමරය කුස්සිය , Maison, chambre, cuisine10 min
- දොර ජනේලය , Porte et fenêtre10 min
- ගම නුවර කඩේ , Village, ville, magasin10 min
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🚶ක්රියා — Verbes essentiels (1)
- යනවා එනවා , Aller et venir10 min
- කනවා බොනවා , Manger et boire10 min
- කරනවා දෙනවා ගන්නවා , Faire, donner, prendre10 min
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🗣️ක්රියා — Verbes essentiels (2)
- කියනවා කථා කරනවා , Dire et parler10 min
- බලනවා දන්නවා ඕනෑ , Voir, savoir, vouloir10 min
- තේරෙනවා ආදරෙයි , Comprendre et aimer10 min
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💰වෙළඳාම — Commerce et argent
- සල්ලි මිල , Argent et prix10 min
- ගණන් ලාබ , Cher et bon marché10 min
- ගන්නවා විකුණනවා දෙනවා , Acheter, vendre, donner10 min
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📏විශේෂණ — Adjectifs descriptifs
- හොඳ නරක , Bon et mauvais10 min
- ලොකු පොඩි , Grand et petit10 min
- රස්න සීතල , Chaud et froid10 min
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❓ප්රශ්න — Poser des questions
- කවුද මොකක්ද , Qui et quoi10 min
- කවදාද කොහොමද , Quand et comment10 min
- ඇයි , Pourquoi10 min
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✍️ක්රියා — Verbes essentiels (3)
- ලියනවා කියවනවා , Lire et écrire10 min
- ඉන්නවා තියෙනවා , Être animé et inanimé10 min
- වැඩ කරනවා , Travailler10 min
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🕐කාලය — Jours et temps
- අද ඊයෙ හෙට , Aujourd'hui, hier, demain10 min
- උදෑසන රෑ , Matin et soir10 min
- Calendrier sri-lankais10 min
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🕉️සංස්කෘතිය — Culture et religion
- බුද්ධ ධර්ම , Bouddha et dharma10 min
- දාගැබ පන්සල කෝවිල , Stupa, temple bouddhiste, temple hindou10 min
- නැටුම ශ්රී ලංකා , Danse Kandyan et identité sri-lankaise10 min
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💬සංවාද — Conversations types
- Au café , Commander à boire10 min
- Au marché , Faire ses courses10 min
- Présenter sa famille10 min
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📝ඇගයීම — Évaluation finale
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🔗සංයෝග — Combiner les mots
- Combinaisons salutation + politesse10 min
- Combinaisons pronom + verbe10 min
- Combinaisons nombre + nom10 min
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📚සමාලෝචනය — Récap thématique
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🎯සංගෘහිතය — Synthèse finale
- Synthèse , Politesse et adresse10 min
- Synthèse , Décrire et compter10 min
- Synthèse , Verbes et culture sri-lankaise10 min
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🏆අවසන් ඇගයීම — Quiz finaux
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🌿Bases du sinhalais
- Salutations en sinhalais12 min
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🔢Chiffres et couleurs
- Les chiffres sinhalais10 min
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🇱🇰
Sinhalais Intermédiaire
📖Parlé vs Écrit
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⚡Marqueurs d'aspect
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💬Conversation
- Salutations et politesse , au-delà de "bonjour"13 min
- Exprimer ses besoins et demandes14 min
- Parler de sa famille et de son quotidien13 min
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🌴Culture srilankaise
- L'Avurudu , le Nouvel An srilankais13 min
- La cuisine srilankaise , goûts et vocabulaire12 min
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🇱🇰
Sinhalais Avancé
📚Sinhalais littéraire
- + 5 more
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🛕Bouddhisme et langue
- Le Tripitaka et le vocabulaire sacré16 min
- Les temples bouddhiques , vocabulaire architectural15 min
- Concepts philosophiques , karma, impermanence, souffrance17 min
- Les Quatre Nobles Vérités , Vocabulaire avancé18 min
- Poya , Calendrier lunaire bouddhiste et pratiques16 min
- + 5 more
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🏛️Registre formel
- Le sinhalais administratif , formulaires et courrier16 min
- Le discours politique et médiatique15 min
- Droit et jurisprudence , Vocabulaire juridique sinhalais18 min
- Diplomatie et relations internationales , Vocabulaire17 min
- Éducation et système scolaire , Vocabulaire officiel16 min
- + 4 more
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🌊Sri Lanka et traditions
- La danse Kandyan , Ves Natuma14 min
- L'identité srilankaise , Cingalais, Tamouls et Maures16 min
- La mer et les traditions côtières13 min
- Gastronomie srilankaise , Culture et vocabulaire avancé16 min
- Arts textiles et artisanat srilankais16 min
- + 5 more
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✍️Littérature sinhalaise classique
- Martin Wickramasinghe , Père de la littérature sinhalaise moderne18 min
- Kāvya , La poésie classique sinhalaise16 min
- Le Mahāvaṃsa , La Grande Chronique et sa langue17 min
- Gunadasa Amarasekara , Littérature et nationalisme16 min
- Diglossie sinhalaise , Registre littéraire vs parlé (analyse C1)20 min
- + 2 more
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📰Presse et médias srilankais
- Le paysage médiatique du Sri Lanka16 min
- Vocabulaire journalistique sinhalais avancé18 min
- Lire et analyser un article de presse sinhalais20 min
- BBC Sinhala , Registre et style journalistique17 min
- Sinhalais numérique , Réseaux sociaux et langue en ligne15 min
- + 2 more
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🏛️Histoire ancienne du Sri Lanka
- Le royaume d'Anuradhapura , La première grande civilisation18 min
- Polonnaruwa , La deuxième capitale médiévale17 min
- Bouddhisme theravada à Anuradhapura , Institution et langue17 min
- Le Mahāvaṃsa comme source historique , Méthodes d'analyse18 min
- Sigiriya , Le Rocher du Lion et sa signification16 min
- + 2 more
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⚖️Société, politique et conflits
- L'indépendance de 1948 et la construction nationale17 min
- La guerre civile 1983-2009 , Vocabulaire et contexte19 min
- L'Aragalaya 2022 , La révolution du peuple srilankais18 min
- Relations ethniques au Sri Lanka , Vocabulaire et nuances18 min
- Économie et développement au Sri Lanka , Vocabulaire C117 min
- + 2 more
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🔬Philosophie, sciences et épistémologie
- K.N. Jayatilleke , Épistémologie bouddhiste et logique20 min
- L'impermanence (anicca) , Vocabulaire philosophique avancé18 min
- Science et bouddhisme , Dialogue contemporain17 min
- Karma et causalité , Philosophie avancée18 min
- Nirvana et libération , Terminologie bouddhiste avancée17 min
- + 2 more
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📖Langue avancée — Grammaire et rhétorique
- Cas nominaux en sinhalais littéraire , Grammaire avancée20 min
- Aspect verbal avancé , Formes aspectuelles en sinhalais19 min
- Phrases complexes , Subordonnées et coordination18 min
- Pragmatique sinhalaise , Politesse et niveaux d'adresse17 min
- Expressions idiomatiques sinhalaises , Niveau C216 min
- + 2 more
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They talk about us
Learners talk about their journey on Targumi.
The curriculum
What you'll learn in Sinhalese
A curriculum designed to get you speaking Sinhalese in the situations that actually matter to you.
Start for free- 01Conversational Sinhalese from Colombo and daily life
- 02Sinhala alphabet: 54 letters, reading and writing
- 03Sinhalese for tourism: Sigiriya, Kandy, Galle, the southern coast
- 04Theravada Buddhist culture and Sri Lankan festivals
- 05Business Sinhalese for Colombo's textile and tech sectors
- 06Differences between formal and spoken Sinhalese (diglossia)
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about learning Sinhalese
Sinhalese presents three main challenges: the alphabet (54 characters to memorize), diglossia (very different spoken and written languages) and an Indo-Aryan grammar that's unfamiliar. However, the grammar is more regular than English, and everyday vocabulary is quickly learnable. With a native teacher focusing on the spoken Sinhalese of Colombo, you can hold basic conversations in 4-6 months.
For oral communication, no, you can progress quickly using romanization (phonetic spelling in the Latin alphabet). But to live, travel or work in Sri Lanka, understanding the alphabet is essential for reading signs, menus and messages. Our teachers can tailor the course to your goals: speaking only, or complete learning including reading.
Immensely. Even though English is widely understood in tourist areas, speaking a few phrases in Sinhalese radically changes the welcome you receive. Sri Lankans are renowned for their warm hospitality, and hearing a foreigner speak their language triggers an immediate reaction of surprise and joy. In rural areas, local markets and villages, Sinhalese is essential.
These are two completely different languages with no linguistic kinship. Sinhalese is Indo-Aryan (Indo-European family), while Tamil is Dravidian. Both are official languages of Sri Lanka. Tamils represent about 15-18% of the population, concentrated in the north (Jaffna) and east. Learning Sinhalese gives you access to the 74% who are Sinhalese, but if you're working in the north, Tamil will be more useful.
Yes, the Sri Lankan Tamil community is numerically larger in France (especially around Paris, in the La Chapelle neighborhood), but the Sinhalese community is also present, notably in the restaurant and textile sectors. Sri Lanka is also a growing trade partner with Europe in tea, spices and tourism. Several European companies have operations in Colombo.
Targumi offers 3 plans: monthly, quarterly, and lifetime access. All plans include live small-group classes with native teachers, interactive lessons, and the community. See full pricing on the pricing page.
100% online. Live classes happen in small groups via Google Meet. You can join from anywhere in the world. The mobile and web app stay accessible 24/7 for interactive lessons.
Yes. Targumi offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. If you are not satisfied, just email [email protected] for a full refund.
You can cancel anytime from your profile (“My subscriptions” section) with no hidden fees. Your access stays active until the end of your paid period.
Resources
All Sinhalese resources
Explore our free tools to progress outside of class.
Sinhalese level test
Assess your CEFR level in 5 minutes. 30-day learning plan included.
Discover →Sinhalese survival kit
A hundred words and thirty key phrases as a printable PDF, free.
Discover →Sinhalese cultural quiz
How well do you know Sinhalese culture? Films, music, traditions.
Discover →Sinhalese articles
Guides and articles to learn Sinhalese.
Discover →Sinhalese vocabulary
Essential words and phrases organized by theme.
Discover →Cultural resources
Podcasts, movies, TV shows and music to progress through immersion.
Discover →Reviews
They are learning Sinhalese with Targumi
Verified learner testimonials.
C
“Been on Targumi for 3 months. The small group format is exactly what I needed. My teacher takes time to correct accent, it's precious. Made more progress in 3 months than in 2 years of regular apps.”
CamilleVerified purchase
D
“What sold me is you actually speak from class one. No 10 hours of theory before opening your mouth. And the platform between classes is well-built, I revise on the morning commute.”
DamienVerified purchase
S
“Honestly I had doubts at first because I'd tried plenty of methods without sticking. This is different, the teacher knows their stuff, adapts to your level, and we have fun on top of it. 6 months in and still motivated.”
SorayaVerified purchase
A
“Really good experience overall, the rhythm between live classes and independent practice is well-balanced. Small note: the mobile app lags sometimes, but the teaching content is well worth the price.”
AntoineVerified purchase
E
“The thing that makes a real difference compared to other platforms: teachers are native and trained. You feel it, especially on accent and everyday expressions you don't learn in textbooks.”
EmilyVerified purchase
Pricing
Start learning Sinhalese today
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- A complete learning platform: learn to build sentences, listen to audio to pronounce correctly, practice with exercises.
- Regular live small-group classes: real practice. Schedule on the platform, everything on replay so you never miss out. Join in or not, no obligation.
- WhatsApp community with other learners and teachers: practice writing, chat every day, immerse yourself in the language.
30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked — email [email protected]
For a 3-month sprint
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- A complete learning platform: learn to build sentences, listen to audio to pronounce correctly, practice with exercises.
- Regular live small-group classes: real practice. Schedule on the platform, everything on replay so you never miss out. Join in or not, no obligation.
- WhatsApp community with other learners and teachers: practice writing, chat every day, immerse yourself in the language.
30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked — email [email protected]
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Best investment
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No subscription, no stress — we support you until you no longer need us.
$399
One-time payment · lifetime access
- A complete learning platform: learn to build sentences, listen to audio to pronounce correctly, practice with exercises.
- Regular live small-group classes: real practice. Schedule on the platform, everything on replay so you never miss out. Join in or not, no obligation.
- WhatsApp community with other learners and teachers: practice writing, chat every day, immerse yourself in the language.
- Shareable account. Share your login with the person of your choice, they can sign in and attend classes in your place.
30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked — email [email protected]
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