What is Kotlin?

Relax. We'll talk through this in plain words — no textbook voice.

Kotlin is a statically typed programming language created by JetBrains that runs on the JVM. Since it can be used side by side with Java in the same project, you can gradually bring it into existing Java codebases without needing an immediate full rewrite. It's also a major language for Android development, and it can be used for backend, desktop, and multiplatform projects too.

kotlin

// Kotlin program တစ်ခု run ရင် main() ကနေ စအလုပ်လုပ်ပါတယ်။
fun main() {
    println("Hello from Kotlin!")
}

You should see

Hello from Kotlin!

Summary

Kotlin's modern syntax, null safety, and Java interoperability make it a great fit for practical projects.

What's Next

Next, let's figure out whether you'll run Kotlin right in the browser or set it up on your own computer.

Easy traps

Misspelling the main function name or forgetting to close a bracket { } are the most common errors beginners run into.