What is Bulbul?

Who is Bulbul for?

Bulbul is for families outside Pakistan whose children understand some Urdu, or none, and answer in English. The learner is usually a child aged 3 to 12, and the person who sets it up is usually a parent. Teens and adults who understand Urdu but don't speak it confidently get their own track. You don't need to speak Urdu yourself to use Bulbul with your child.

What does Bulbul teach?

Bulbul teaches everyday spoken Pakistani Urdu, the way families use it at home. Children start with four opening conversations (Say hello, Ask for a snack, Play together, Meet your family), then move through eleven word worlds: Family, Food, Animals, My Body, Colours, At Home, Do This!, Places, Numbers, Clothes and First Phrases. The focus is greetings, the family words for each side of the family, polite “aap” and “jee” for elders, and the things children say at the table and at play.

Bulbul teaches 300 words and phrases; try 25 of them with audio on this site →

How does a lesson work?

Every children's lesson follows one arc: remember, meet, build, find, use, say, talk, finish. A new word is heard first, with its picture and meaning. Sentences are built up piece by piece with “Repeat after me”, then the child finds the word, uses it in a family moment, says it out loud while Bulbul listens, and uses it in a tiny conversation. A lesson takes about five minutes and ends with one small idea to try at home. Under-6s see at most two choices at a time.

How Bulbul teaches, step by step →

Does my child need to read Urdu?

No. Bulbul is a speaking course: children hear Urdu, understand it through pictures and family moments, and say it. Reading is never a prerequisite, and younger children answer with pictures only. For older children, a parent can switch on Roman Urdu or Urdu script as optional support. Bulbul isn't a reading course.

What does Bulbul cost?

Bulbul is free to start. A subscription unlocks the full course; the price is shown in the App Store before you pay, and you can cancel any time in your Apple account settings. There are no ads. Subscribing happens in the parent area, behind a grown-up gate, so children never see a store.

What is free?

Three things are free: the opening Say hello lessons, the Family words world, and practice of anything your child has already learned. For teens and adults, the first world of the grown-up track is free. You don't need a card or an account for the free part.

Which devices does Bulbul run on?

Bulbul runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later. On iPad it works in portrait, landscape and Split View. Up to six learners can share one device, each with their own profile and progress. There is no Android, web or desktop version.

Does Bulbul work offline?

Yes. Lessons, pictures and audio are stored on the device, so lessons run without an internet connection. You only need a connection to subscribe or restore a purchase, and for the one-time download of Apple's Urdu speech model on devices that support the speech check.

What happens to my child's voice?

Bulbul listens so your child can practise speaking, but nothing is uploaded. Each try is a temporary file on the device, deleted when the lesson ends or the app closes. Where the iPhone or iPad has Apple's on-device Urdu speech recognition, Bulbul checks the try on the device; otherwise Bulbul simply says “I heard you”. A grown-up can switch the check off in the parent area. Bulbul has no ads and no account, and sends no analytics or advertising data about learners.

How the audio is made and where the speech check runs →

Who makes Bulbul?

Bulbul is made by Endpoint Technology LLC, a small independent studio. It's built by a parent, Umar, and tested at home with his own children. You can reach the team at support@endpointtechnologyllc.com.

Our story →

What Bulbul is not

A few things Bulbul doesn't do, so you can decide quickly.

• Not a reading or qaida app. Bulbul teaches speaking first; script is optional and comes later.
• Not a replacement for family or teachers. Every lesson ends with something to say to a real person. Weekend schools, tutors and grandparents do things an app can't.
• Not on Android or the web. Bulbul is an iPhone and iPad app.
• Not a test. Speaking is never graded, Bulbul never says “wrong”, and progress is never inflated.