At a glance
What will be easy
Telephone (τηλέφωνο), problem (πρόβλημα), idea (ιδέα), music (μουσική), theatre (θέατρο): English science, medicine and politics are full of Greek roots, and you will spot them as soon as you can read the letters.
Learn the letters and a dozen combinations (ου, αι, ει, μπ, ντ) and you can read any word aloud. Every word of more than one syllable carries a stress mark: καλημέρα, ευχαριστώ.
Learners from many countries struggle with θ and δ, but you already have them: θ is the th in think (θέλω, “I want”), δ the th in this (δεν, “not”). And there are only five vowel sounds, always short and clear.
What will be hard
Some letters mislead: ρ is r, ν is n, η and υ are “ee”, β is v, χ is the ch in Scottish loch. The “ee” sound can be spelled five ways (ι, η, υ, ει, οι), so spelling stays hard long after reading becomes easy.
Every noun is masculine, feminine or neuter, and the article and ending change with the case: ο φίλος “the friend”, του φίλου “of the friend”, τον φίλο “the friend” as an object. Learn each noun with its article from day one.
Most verbs have a present stem and a past stem: γράφω “I write”, έγραψα “I wrote”. Greek also separates ongoing and one-off actions (θα γράφω “I will be writing”, θα γράψω “I will write”), and there is no infinitive: “I want to go” is θέλω να πάω.
Your first 10 phrases
| Phrase | How to say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Γεια σας! | YAH sahs | Hello / Goodbye (polite, or to several people) |
| Καλημέρα | kah-lee-MEH-rah | Good morning |
| Ευχαριστώ πολύ | ef-khah-ree-STOH poh-LEE | Thank you very much |
| Παρακαλώ | pah-rah-kah-LOH | Please / You’re welcome |
| Συγγνώμη | seeg-NOH-mee | Sorry / Excuse me |
| Ναι / Όχι | neh / OH-hee | Yes / No |
| Πόσο κάνει; | POH-soh KAH-nee | How much is it? |
| Δεν καταλαβαίνω | then kah-tah-lah-VEH-noh | I don’t understand |
| Μιλάτε αγγλικά; | mee-LAH-teh ahng-glee-KAH | Do you speak English? |
| Έναν καφέ, παρακαλώ | EH-nahn kah-FEH, pah-rah-kah-LOH | A coffee, please |
From A1 to B2: what to learn at each level
- A1
The alphabet and reading rules, articles and the three genders, είμαι “I am” and έχω “I have”, the present tense, numbers, about 1,000 of the most frequent words.
- A2
The simple past (aorist) and the future with θα, short pronouns (μου, σου, τον, το), the genitive: το σπίτι του φίλου μου, “my friend’s house”.
- B1
Ongoing versus completed actions in every tense (έγραφα, έγραψα), the subjunctive with να, passive verbs in -ομαι, about 3,000 words.
- B2
The passive past (γράφτηκε), participles in -μένος and -οντας, perfect tenses (έχω γράψει), the formal style of news and documents, 3,500 words and more.
How long it takes to learn Greek
According to the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI), a native English speaker needs about 44 weeks of intensive study to reach professional working proficiency in Greek. The closer a language is to your own, the faster the road.
More on timing: How long does it take to learn a language to B1 and B2?.
Your first month, 15–20 minutes a day
The alphabet, letter combinations (ου, αι, ει, μπ, ντ) and the 100 most frequent words. Every day: 10 minutes of flashcards and 5 minutes of reading aloud.
Articles and gender, είμαι and έχω, simple sentences about yourself: Με λένε…, Είμαι από… Start listening to short dialogues.
The present tense of the two main verb groups (κάνω, μιλάω), questions and negation with δεν. Write three sentences a day about your day.
Your first A1 stories and 300 words in review. Add the future with θα and try a five-minute conversation with a native speaker or in a chat.
Typical mistakes and how to avoid them
Ναι means yes, and no is όχι. Greeks may also say no by tilting the head back slightly, which is easy to mistake for a nod.
Short object pronouns go before the verb: Σε αγαπώ “I love you”, Το θέλω “I want it”, not θέλω το.
Greek puts the article before names: Η Μαρία είναι εδώ “Maria is here”, ο Νίκος, η Αθήνα.
English turns e into “ay” and o into “ow”. Greek vowels stay short and pure: καλημέρα is “kah-lee-MEH-rah”, not “kah-lee-MAY-rah”. Stress exactly the syllable with the accent mark.
Did you know?
- Greek has been written for more than 3,000 years, longer than any other living language in Europe.
- The Greek question mark looks like a semicolon: Τι κάνεις; means “How are you?”
- The word alphabet comes from the names of the first two Greek letters, alpha and beta.
Greek exams
The main international certificates: Certificate of Attainment in Greek (Ελληνομάθεια). Many of them map their levels to the CEFR scale from A1 to C2.
How NewLexi helps you learn Greek
- Words on your topics. Greek cards are generated on request or added from the translator, text, a photo or a file.
- Spaced repetition for every word and four mastery levels.
- Stories and dialogues in Greek at your level, written with your words; tap any word for a translation.
- Greek grammar from A1 to C2, a writing trainer with AI correction and a chat.
- Lock Screen cards and iPhone widgets to review words on the go.
FAQ
Is Greek hard for English speakers?
It is a challenge, but a fair one: the US Foreign Service Institute estimates about 44 weeks of full-time study, the same as for Russian. Reading comes quickly and the th sounds are easy for you; most of the effort goes into cases, genders and verb forms.
How long does it take to reach B1?
Plan on roughly 600 hours of study, about a year and a half at an hour a day. A steady daily routine matters more than long weekend sessions.
Which certificate should I take?
The Certificate of Attainment in Greek (Ellinomatheia) from the Centre for the Greek Language, with levels from A1 to C2. It is Greece’s official state exam for Greek as a foreign language.
Do I need Ancient Greek first?
No. Modern Greek is a living language with simpler grammar than Ancient Greek: no dative case, no infinitive and a very different pronunciation. Ancient forms survive in church texts and set phrases, but you can learn modern Greek without them.
