The easiest way to learn Biblical Greek is to read a verse you already know in English, hear it in Greek, and ask about each word. In Bubblegum, Poppy, your AI tutor, writes that lesson for your level and goal, so you start with Greek whose meaning you know.
| What You Need | How Bubblegum Helps |
|---|---|
| The letters | A Biblical Greek alphabet course on this site teaches all 24 letters and the small marks above them. |
| A text you care about | Pick Ancient Greek, then Biblical, then a goal such as reading the New Testament, and Poppy writes in Koine Greek. |
| Hearing the verse | The audio plays in the Erasmian sound, with a British English voice. |
| An answer about a word | Ask Poppy what a word means in the verse in front of you. |
| Seeing a word again | Saved words come back in new lessons, a feature called Regenerative Review™. |
If you study for a class, check a form against your textbook. Bubblegum can't turn your own Greek New Testament into lessons, but you can paste a verse in the chat, and Poppy will explain it.
- Words You Half KnowEnglish borrowed church words from Greek. εὐαγγέλιον (good news) became evangelist, βαπτίζω became baptize and ἀπόστολος became apostle.
- Verses You KnowYou can read John 1:1 in Greek with a good idea of what each word means, because you know the English.
- A Short AlphabetGreek has 24 letters. Bubblegum's Biblical Greek alphabet course teaches them with the marks that sit above them.
A first line can be Ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν. (God is love.)
Sessions of twenty or thirty minutes a few times a week are enough to finish one short lesson. The fastest way to learn Biblical Greek shows what to read at each level.
- Start the Alphabet CourseWork through the first chapters of Bubblegum's Biblical Greek alphabet course until you can sound out a short word.
- Name One GoalPick the goal that fits you, such as reading the New Testament or studying Biblical words.
- Read the First Lesson OnceRead the short lesson Poppy writes for your goal, with the audio off.
- Read It Again With the VoicePlay the recording and follow each word as it is read.
- Save One WordSave a word you want to meet again. Regenerative Review™ puts it into new lessons.
- Ask About One LineAsk Poppy why a word has the ending it has in your verse.
| What Feels Hard | The Easy Fix |
|---|---|
| Words change their endings | Read short sentences first and ask Poppy which ending marks who does the action. |
| The marks above the letters | Play the audio while you read, and learn them in the alphabet course. |
| Every class seems to say the words differently | Pick one pronunciation, such as the Erasmian sound in Bubblegum, and keep it for a while. |
| Rare words stop you | Use a glossed edition such as Crossway's Reader's Edition, which glosses words that occur fewer than 25 times. |
| Paul's long sentences | Start with the Gospel stories and come back to Paul's letters later. |
| You forget words | Save them in Bubblegum so they return in new lessons. |
Start with short stories and sayings, and leave the letters of Paul for later.
| What | Why It's Easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| A Bubblegum lesson | Poppy writes it from your goal, in sentences matched to your level. | Bubblegum |
| A first-year class | Each chapter comes with vocabulary mnemonics, quizzes and workbook answers. | Bill Mounce's free class |
| Alphabet videos and readers | The alphabet videos, lessons and readers are in one app. | Biblingo |
| A glossed New Testament | The rare words are explained under the text. | Crossway's Reader's Edition |
| A teacher | Someone can slow down and explain the endings. | Preply, or a teacher at your church or school |
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Ancient Greek. You learn from Ancient Greek you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- Pick Ancient Greek, then Biblical, and lessons have audio in that form's sound.
- Pick a goal like reading the New Testament or getting ready for seminary Greek, and the lessons are written to match.
- Ask Poppy what a line means while you read.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter and its sound in the free Classical Greek Alphabet course.
- You can't turn your own Greek New Testament into lessons. However, you can paste a verse in the chat, and Poppy will explain it.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Do I Need to Learn the Letters First?
Yes, but only a few at a time. The first chapters of the alphabet course give you enough letters to sound out a short word, and you meet the rest as you read.
Which Biblical Greek App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Ancient Greek, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. For an iPhone or iPad app that stays in the New Testament, try Biblingo. The full list is in our Biblical Greek app comparison.
Is a Vocabulary List a Good Place to Start?
No. Learn each word inside a verse you can hear, like a verse with λόγος (word) in it. A Greek word changes its ending from sentence to sentence.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Bubblegum: Biblical Greek Alphabet course, chapter 1
- Bubblegum: Ancient Greek
- Wiktionary: εὐαγγέλιον (good news; source of English evangelist)
- Wiktionary: βαπτίζω (to dip, to baptize)
- Wiktionary: ἀπόστολος (one sent out; source of English apostle)
- Bill Mounce: Read the Greek Testament (free class, vocabulary mnemonics, workbook answers)
- Crossway: The Greek New Testament, Tyndale House, Reader's Edition
- Biblingo on the App Store (Koine Greek, Biblical Hebrew and Latin)
- Preply: online Ancient Greek tutors
