# Sorry, Babushka — The words phrasebooks skip > Learn practical, nuanced phrases in seven languages through interactive dialogue with a virtual grandmother. (iPhone/iPad app by MITCH AARON GOULSON.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sorry-babushka/id6801768090 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [MITCH AARON GOULSON](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786975997) - Category: Education, Entertainment - Price: Free - Rating: 4.50/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 17+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 4 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-08-19 - Data updated: 2026-08-31 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sorry-babushka/id6801768090/reviews.md ## What is Sorry, Babushka? Every language course teaches you to ask where the library is. None of them teach you what people actually say when the bus doesn't come. Sorry, Babushka is the other half of the language. A cartoon grandmother sits in her kitchen in one of seven languages, and you learn the words your textbook left out by saying them to her face and watching what happens. She is not a scoreboard. She reacts. HER PATH One long path per language, in the order she chose: mild words first, the unforgivable ones much later, each family of words taught root by root. Every day she teaches you one new word — what it literally means, where it came from, where it turns up — and the lesson ends the only way it can here: you say it to her, out loud, and she answers. Finish a whole family and she quizzes you on it; pass, and she says the word herself, once, approvingly, which is the only time in this app her own mouth crosses her own line. A STREAK THAT IS ACTUALLY A RELATIONSHIP The number on the home screen is the days you've kept coming to her kitchen. Miss a couple and she looked at the door and the door looked back. Miss a week and your photograph gets turned to face the wall — she says so, out loud, and then she forgives you, because you came. No hearts, no gems, no notifications. Just a grandmother who noticed. TWO VOICES, ON PURPOSE A plain native voice teaches — it reads the words, the examples, the dictionary. She only ever reacts. Whichever language you're learning, she answers in English in that language's accent, dropping into her own language for the words that matter, and a switch in Settings puts her back in her own language entirely. SEVEN GRANDMOTHERS Russian, Spanish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian and Persian. Each written separately, because none of this material translates. Russian has a closed set of four roots with its own taboo. Italian keeps blasphemy in a category of its own. Spanish attaches its worst words to the altar and the family line. Persian aims at honour rather than obscenity. You learn those distinctions here, because getting them wrong is exactly how a foreigner gets it wrong. THE DICTIONARY Organised by root, not alphabetically, because that is how these words actually work: the root at the top with its literal meaning and origin, and under it the words grown out of it, each with pronunciation, real English sense, and a line on who you can say it to. 60–80 words per language. SAY WHAT YOU ACTUALLY MEAN Type a sentence in English and the app rebuilds it in her language out of pieces a native speaker wrote — the right case, the right gender, the adjective on the correct side of the noun. It cannot hand you something ungrammatical, and it tells you what it did to your sentence and why. SAY IT OUT LOUD Tap the microphone and she scores what she actually heard, word by word. On a phone, out loud, with someone listening — that is the only way any of this sticks. FREE, COMPLETELY All seven languages, the whole dictionary, the whole path. No subscription, no ads, nothing locked. NO ACCOUNT. NO INTERNET. NO DATA. There is nothing to sign into. The app makes no network requests of any kind. Nothing you type or say leaves your phone — the speech recognition is your device's own. It works in airplane mode. FOR ADULTS This app contains strong language in seven languages. That is what it is for. An age setting on first launch limits how far it goes, and it holds across every screen. WHAT IS NOT IN HERE No slurs. Nothing that attacks anyone for their race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexuality, gender identity or disability, at any setting, in any language. Swearing is aimed at a moment. A slur is aimed at a person for something they were born as. The app teaches the first and has no interest in the second. ## Key features - Interactive grandmother character - Root-based vocabulary learning - Pronunciation scoring - Sentence rebuilding tool - Seven language options - Relationship-based streak system ## Recent user reviews (2 of 2) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sorry-babushka/id6801768090/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Step aside Duolingo *2026-08-21* There’s a new language learning app in town. Babushkas > Duo ### 5/5 — Impressive *2026-08-21* I used this app, and had dreams of a Spanish grandmother yelling at me within the 3rd week. By the end of the month, I was yelling ancient Spanish chants in my sleep and wearing a sombrero, and the grandmother in the app eventually knocked on my door and asked to move in. 10/10 would recommend. ## Frequently asked questions about Sorry, Babushka ### What is the learning methodology of Sorry, Babushka? Sorry, Babushka focuses on teaching practical, often omitted phrases through interactive dialogue with a virtual grandmother. It emphasizes learning words root by root and understanding their origins and usage in context. ### How does Sorry, Babushka track user progress? Progress is tracked through a unique 'relationship' streak system rather than traditional scores. Missing days can affect the grandmother's reaction, encouraging consistent engagement. Completing word families leads to quizzes and approval. ### Does Sorry, Babushka offer certifications? The app does not offer formal certifications. Its focus is on practical language acquisition and conversational fluency through an engaging, relationship-based learning experience. ### What languages are available in Sorry, Babushka? Sorry, Babushka offers seven languages: Russian, Spanish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, and Persian. Each language is developed with unique cultural distinctions and nuances. ### How does the pronunciation scoring work in Sorry, Babushka? Users can tap the microphone to speak, and the app scores their pronunciation word by word. This feature aims to simulate speaking out loud with someone listening, a key aspect of language retention. ### Is Sorry, Babushka available on multiple devices? Yes, Sorry, Babushka is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod, making it accessible across various Apple devices. ### How often is Sorry, Babushka updated? The app was last updated on August 26, 2026, with version 1.1. This indicates a recent update, suggesting ongoing development and maintenance. ### What is the age rating for Sorry, Babushka? Sorry, Babushka has an age rating of 17+. This is likely due to the inclusion of 'unforgivable' or taboo words that are taught later in the learning path. ## Version history (last 2 releases) ### 1.1 — 2026-08-26 She has a curriculum now, and it is a path. HER PATH One long path per language, in her order — mild families of words first, the unforgivable ones earned much later. Every day she teaches one new word: what it literally means, where it came from, where it turns up. Then you say it to her face, and she reacts the way she reacts. That's the lesson. There's exactly one a day, and it takes about three minutes. SHE NOTICES WHEN YOU STOP COMING Your streak is the days you've come to her kitchen. Miss two and she made tea anyway. Miss a week and she has already told the whole building you moved abroad. She forgives you the moment you walk in — but you will hear about it first. FINISH A FAMILY AND SHE QUIZZES YOU Pass, and she leans in and says the word herself. Once. You did not hear it from her. TWO VOICES A plain native voice now teaches the words and reads the dictionary. Her voice is only ever her reacting — the person who hands you the word and the person scandalised by it are no longer the same person. ALSO IN THIS UPDATE · A real dictionary in all seven languages, organised by root, with what each word literally means and who you can say it to. · Type a sentence in English and she gets it rebuilt in her language, grammatically, out of pieces a native speaker wrote. · Shout — a wall of words and her face. No lesson, no structure. Tap and find out. · The level dial is gone. Words aren't "harder", they're ruder, and the app now says so in each language's own terms. · Fixes: pronunciation of short words, a back button on every screen, her hand no longer looks like a growth, captions stay in step with her voice. ### 1.0 — 2026-08-19 No release notes. ## More apps by MITCH AARON GOULSON - [Everflation](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/everflation/id6786975995) All apps by MITCH AARON GOULSON: https://appshunter.io/developer/6786975997 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-31.*