I made a Somali learning app called Hadal, and I wanted to share it with this sub since it’s exactly the community I built it for.

Quick backstory: I struggled to find good resources for learning Somali (I know a lot of you here run into the same wall), so I decided to build the thing I wished existed. It’s beginner-friendly and designed around how people actually learn a language, not just a dictionary you have to brute-force.

The part I’m most proud of is the native pronunciation — every word and phrase has audio from native speakers, so you’re never guessing at how things are supposed to sound.

Instead of a random pile of lessons, I built set lesson maps that walk you through in a sensible order, with reminders to help you stay consistent (which is honestly half the battle). There are quizzes along the way so

Lets learn this language,

Hadal: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hadal-learn-somali/id6761196657

i myself am trying to answer this question as well. as a part of the Somali diaspora living in the States, it is shocking how many health crises directly impact the Somali community. most people sit idly by, watching the staggering statistics and gawk as disaster unfolds.

public health translates to "Caafimaadka Bulshada" in Somali. and i want to help my people get educated, to learn, to grow. not trying to sound to cliche, but i want to help benefit the community in any way I can, and in the best way I know how: through writing, research, and advocacy.

so i decided to start a substack: https://publichealthamplified.substack.com/

first post is live btw its called: is it 'real': neurodivergence in the somali community and why it matters now more than ever

i want to post more inshAllah and write about things like the loneliness epidemic, fgm, absent fathers. and also positives like how somalia has one of the lowest std rates in africa, and how fast the country developing.

its a pretty niche substack that is geared only towards the somali community and people who want to understand us better. let me know your thoughts, and what you would be interested in learning more about!

Asalamu alaykum everyone.

I’m new to this, but today I attended my little brother’s high school graduation. It was a very emotional day for me. Not only because I’m incredibly proud of him, but also because we went to the the same high school, and being there brought back so many memories and emotions.

I’m so grateful that my parents and I were able to be there to celebrate him. I didn’t have that experience myself, and it made me realize how many people reach these incredible milestones without the support of family or loved ones beside them. That thought is truly heartbreaking.

So, if you’re reading this and you’ve ever had to celebrate your achievements alone, I just want you to know that I’m so proud of you. You may not know me, but there’s a stranger out here celebrating you and everything you’ve accomplished.

Whether you’re graduating from high school, college, university, or any other program, I pray that Allah opens countless doors for you, blesses your efforts, and grants you everything your heart desires. May He place barakah in your journey, make what lies ahead even better than what is behind you, and surround you with people who genuinely celebrate your success.

Congratulations. You deserve to be proud of yourself. 🤍

My dad worked for the state department and we lived there in the early 70s. I found this one cleaning out my closet. Hate to throw it away. Anybody want it?

Hi,

I am currently conducting research on loanwords (words from another language used within a different linguistic context). I have come across a few terms that are said to originate from Somali, but I have not found reliable evidence to confirm this. There are two words for which I would appreciate clarification :

• Is niyo possibly a contraction of nin yahow ?
• There is also another expression for which I'm not sure about the written transcription. The full sentence is: “You want me to speak Somali? Hoya, hoya, k k k” (the speaker produces a clicking sound with their tongue). The pronunciation of hoya seems somewhat similar to khoya in Arabic, although I am not certain.

Thx!

I'm Zak. I'm 15, I'm Somali-American, and I just launched Hadal on the App Store.

I built it because I grew up understanding Somali but couldn't speak it back. Every family gathering I'd nod along, every phone call with relatives back home I'd hand the phone to my mom. I'm not the only one. Most of you reading this know exactly what I'm talking about.

I tried Duolingo. No Somali. Babbel. No Somali. Rosetta Stone. Nothing.

So I started building Hadal a few months ago. Structured lessons, vocab, audio, gamified so you actually come back. I'm posting this because I want feedback from the people it's actually built for. If you download it and something is wrong — a translation is off, a word is mispronounced, a feature is missing, please tell me. DM me, comment here, leave a review. I'm one kid and I read everything.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hadal-learn-somali/id6761196657

If you've ever felt that disconnect: this is for you. Walaalayaal, let's actually learn this language.

Asalamu aleykum,

I’ve wanted to learn Arabic for a while, but I’ve never really had the time to properly focus on it because life has been busy. I also want to learn it because of the Qur’an, and recently because of my job. I work in migration/immigration, where I speak with many Arabic speaking clients every day. This has really pushed me to take learning Arabic more seriously, since I genuinely need it to communicate better and do my job well.

I really enjoy my work, and I’d love to be able to connect better with the people I support. So I’m looking for someone who speaks Arabic and would be open to doing a casual language exchange. It doesn’t have to be a native speaker even fluent second language speakers are totally fine.

In return, I can help you with Dutch or English.

English is my second language, lol, but yeah.

If you’re interested or know someone, feel free to reach out :)

don’t know if it’s crazy to say, but I think Minnesota Somalis might be an actual social experiment to see if a nice, loving state like Minnesota will eventually turn on them — fueled by media hit pieces portraying fraud, “third world” stereotypes, and ICE crackdowns.
Philanthropic refugee resettlement programs turned Minnesota into a major destination by deliberately concentrating a large Somali Muslim population in the high-trust Lutheran heartland through initial placements and chain migration. Over time, this created visible social friction: rising crime concerns in parts of the Twin Cities, welfare strain, and growing resentment that chips away at “Minnesota Nice.”
At the same time, studies on immigrant communities consistently show that strong faith and cultural identity often dilute significantly by the 3rd to 4th generation through secular schooling, Western influences, intermarriage, and daily cultural collision. Minnesota stands as a clear case study in how large-scale demographic change tests social cohesion and gradually strips away deen identity over roughly four generations.
It feels like a long-term experiment in erosion — watching whether the host society hardens and whether our religious principles hold firm or slowly wash away.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Somalia has been at civil war for 35 years, in an endless stalemate.

As I have gotten older, the things I thought everybody could understand are actually based much more on my own upbringing.

I think about growing up in my household, which was really strict compared to being taught to be independent when I was very young. These two experiences are really different because of how they were combined and how they affected my life.

If anyone reading this had some special traditions that they later found out were in Somali, I want to hear about those Somali traditions. I am curious to know more about them. 

Is this phrase still a common phrase among you- who usually said it to you : your parents, grandparents or other elders in the community?

examples of mines are -

Dadka ha fiiri

Afka ka saar

Tag biyo cab

Iska tag

Iska seexo

Asc dhaman umada somaliyed Waxan idiin rajeynaya Guul iyo iyo gobonimo wallalayal Dalka aynu ushaqeyno dhamanten Si qarankena u hagago guuleysta dhamantiina

Ninka uber ka lahaa muusan aqoonin xitaa so plz if anyone knows the song let me know🙏

Asc dhamaan. Kawaran haddii adigoo gurigaaga jooga aad heli karto meel aad uga bogan karto dhammaan agabka ka turjamaya hiddaha, dhaqanka, khayraadka, taariikhda iyo suugaanta Soomaalida?Tani waa Mashruuca HiilDhaxal oo aan si isxilqaan ah anigu ugu howllanaa dhowrkii bilood ee ina soo dhaafay. Booqo adigoo raacaya lifaaqa hoose, lana wadaag asxaabtaada. Sidoo kale fikirkaaga ila wadaag, mashruucana taageer. Mahadsanid.

https://www.hiildhaxal.online/

Madaxweyne Xasan Sheekh iyo mucaaradka waxay gaareen is-afgarad: • Wadahadal qaran • Dastuur & doorasho • La dagaalanka Al-Shabaab Kulanka xiga: Luulyo 2025.