Imagine a world in black-and-white. Some of you Instagram aficionados or classic movie lovers might find it charming at first, but after a while, you’d probably miss the vibrant colors that make up our daily lives. The gleaming yellow sun, the crisp blue water, the lush green grass and trees, even the multicolored palette of food you eat throughout the day. When you’re learning your basic Spanish vocabulary, you want that new world to be in color, too. You may need to know how to distinguish between clothing items, foods, cocktails or cars, and how to describe the various people, places and t ..read more

Tagalog is a part of the Austronesian language family, one of many languages which developed on islands and coasts in the Pacific Ocean. Other Austronesian languages include Hawaiian, Māori and Malay. Tagalog descended from a proto-Philippine language, and it developed in the Central Philippines. Today, it’s one of the most important languages in a country that is in part defined by its linguistic diversity. Here, we’ll provide a bit of a history of the Tagalog language and then look at where it’s spoken today. A Brief History Of Tagalog For a while, there was no known record of Philippine la ..read more

At Babbel, we’re not just about business, we’re also about making a difference. The Babbel app itself strives to make a positive social impact in countries around the world, but we believe in going the extra mile. Thus, we have a devoted group of people who make up the Impact Team. This team is the embodiment of our corporate commitment to positive social engagement and sustainability. When the Impact Team was established in 2021, their mission was to define and crystallize Babbel’s core purpose: “Creating mutual understanding through language.” This purpose serves as a guiding principle that ..read more

One of the most exciting parts of your language journey is the very beginning, when it feels like the world is open to you. You spend time imagining yourself sitting on the French Riviera, and confidently ordering a croissant at a bakery. Then, that vision becomes cloudy as you come to think about your more immediate future: learning grammar rules. Don’t let that ruin your fun! Learning to conjugate in French isn’t as hard as you might think, especially because there are some predictable rules that will help you with conquer hundreds of verbs easily. Mastering the conjugation of refular -ir ..read more

Nordic Noir (also known as  Scandi Noir) is a type of Scandinavian crime fiction that’s typically narrated from a police point of view. Its success has been phenomenal in recent years, thanks to a unique set of elements that keeps us glued to our books and screens: a series of brutal crimes, a strong plot often criticizing the political system, a bleak Scandinavian setting and the most important thing of all: a tortured protagonist. Norway, the land of fjords, colorful wooden houses, the northern lights and the Vikings celebrates Nordic Noir with a most curious tradition that takes place ..read more

Maybe you want to learn a language, but you don’t want to give up your social life by attending an evening class. Or you’d rather not spend an arm and a leg on a private tutor who’s determined to teach you according to his rules. So what’s the alternative? Is there a way for you to learn a language on your own time, learning topics that you want to learn? (Spoiler alert: Yes, there is.) One of the best ways to learn is to take control of your language learning journey. Here are our best tips to make that happen — with the help of the Babbel App. 7 Methods For Learning A Language At Home 1. Ma ..read more

There’s a funny folktale about the Basque language that perfectly illustrates its singular strangeness. In the myth, the Devil once attempted to learn the language in order to pick out the Basques he wanted to send to Hell. But, after seven years of fruitless studies, he had to give up. The point of this parable isn’t to remind us that even the Prince of Darkness struggles with his conjugation tables — though this can be useful encouragement for a certain kind of language student — but to tell a truthful fiction about how difficult Basque is to learn. As one of the world’s most well-know ..read more

Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic lunar calendar. It is important to Muslims all over the world, and many observe it by fasting from sunrise until sunset. People who observe the fast may wake up before dawn to eat early, before abstaining from food and water until sunset. Then, at sunset, Muslims will break their fast, which is an occasion for family, friends and the community to get together. After the end of Ramadan is a major Muslim holiday: Eid al-Fitr, or “Holiday of Breaking the Fast,” when people gather to celebrate with food. Because the month of Ramadan is based on the Islamic ..read more

Are you looking for a sense of direction? Not in the metaphorical sense: we mean…are you lost? Learning how to ask for and give directions in Spanish is probably one of the best things you can do early on, especially if you’re planning a Spanish vacation. To help you get started, we’ve compiled some words and phrases you’ll need to know to get around. Plus, we’ve included pronunciations for all of these terms. You may also want to check out our printable guide filled with useful vocabulary, so that you can supplement these phrases with vocabulary you’re keeping literally in your pocket. Aski ..read more

Flowers have long held symbolic meaning in cultures all over the world. For millennia, their delicate features and bright colors have inspired people to think deeply about the hidden messages conveyed in the petals. This tradition continues today: Flowers are one of the most obvious symbols of love and romance. Take, for example, the classic red rose and the plush pink peony. No Valentine’s Day would be complete without their appearance. While floral symbology has been around for centuries, most current floral associations can be traced back to the Victorian Era’s obsession with floriography ..read more