The fastest way to learn Greek is to spend most of your study time on Greek you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input. The plan below starts with the alphabet, then names something to read, hear, or watch at each of six levels, with its own split of a study hour.
What to Do at Each Level
Find the level that sounds like you. Its bar shows one suggested way to spend an hour of study.
- Start With the Alphabet
I can't read the Greek alphabet yet.
Learn the letters 25 min. Listen 35 min.
Greek has 24 letters, each with a capital and a small form. Learn them with their sounds, and listen to slow Greek while you do, so the sounds start to feel familiar.
- Level 1
I can sound out words but not much else.
Read and listen 32 min. Review 18 min. Speak 10 min.
Read short lines about greetings and food while you hear them, and watch videos made for beginners. Say each line out loud the way the speaker does, and put the stress where the accent mark is.
- Level 2
I can read simple sentences.
Read and listen 36 min. Review 12 min. Speak 12 min.
Listen to short, slow talks on everyday topics, and read simple stories with their audio. Retell one in a few sentences to a tutor or a friend.
- Level 3
I can read short stories and messages.
Read and listen 40 min. Review 7 min. Retell the story 13 min.
Read whole stories without stopping at every new word, and watch street interviews with Greek subtitles. Then tell someone what happened and ask them one question about it.
- Level 4
I can read longer texts about everyday life.
Read and listen 44 min. Check details 5 min. Discuss the topic 11 min.
Listen to two people chatting in casual Greek about life in Greece today. Note one expression you'd like to use, and try it in your next conversation.
- Level 5
I can follow complex topics, but miss some details.
Read and listen 45 min. Check details 4 min. Explain your view 11 min.
Watch a documentary or news programme made for Greek viewers, with Greek subtitles where they're offered. Afterwards, talk through one detail you missed with a tutor or friend.
- Level 6
I can read almost anything.
Read and listen 45 min. Discuss and write 15 min.
Follow a debate or a long interview, and read opinion pieces on the same topic. Write or say your own view, and ask someone who reads Greek well for feedback.
When a level starts to feel easy, try the next one, and step back down if you lose track after a few lines. These six levels describe what you can read, and they don't match the A1 to C2 levels of the official Greek certificate exams.
With Bubblegum, Poppy, your AI tutor, writes each Greek lesson around your level and your goal, and she'll explain any line you ask about. Bubblegum's lesson audio is made with AI, so also listen to Greek speakers each week, like the podcasts above.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Greek?
The University of Athens runs Modern Greek courses where a teaching hour is 45 minutes. Its eight-month intensive course meets for 20 teaching hours a week, about 15 clock hours, and its eight-month reduced course meets for 6 teaching hours a week, about 4½ clock hours. Both run from October to May, and those figures count class time only.
Those courses show how much time classroom learners give Greek, but their hours don't promise a level, and they don't line up with the six levels above. If you study on your own, here's how your own hours add up.
| Study Each Week | After Four Weeks | After Twelve Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | 12 hours | 36 hours |
| 5 hours | 20 hours | 60 hours |
| 7 hours | 28 hours | 84 hours |
What Slows Learners Down
- Letters That Look EnglishSome Greek letters look like English ones but stand for other sounds. Β sounds like v, and Υ sounds like the ee in see. Read new words out loud with a recording until the Greek sound comes first.
- Skipping the Stress MarkThe small accent mark shows which part of a word to stress, and moving it can change the word. πότε means "when," but ποτέ means "never." Say the stressed part a little louder every time.
- Starting With a Word ListA list of the 500 most common Greek words gives you a meaning for each, but it won't show how a word is used or how it sounds in quick speech. Pick up common words from Greek you read and hear, and review them inside those sentences.
Learn Greek Easily With Bubblegum
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Greek. You learn from Greek you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- A Greek Alphabet course of eight short chapters teaches each letter with its sound.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to Greek lessons, stories, and news about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence 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.
- It doesn't play videos, and your own Greek articles can't become lessons. Paste a paragraph into the chat, and Poppy explains it.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches the Greek Alphabet
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which Greek App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Greek, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Greek app comparison also covers courses, audio lessons, video, and tutors.
Can I Learn Greek in Three Months?
Five hours a week for twelve weeks adds up to 60 hours of study. Pick a small goal for those hours, like ordering a coffee and asking for directions, and see how close you get.
How Much Should I Study Greek Each Week?
Aim for three to five hours a week of Greek you understand, in sessions of at least 15 to 30 minutes. A longer session gives you time to hear a whole podcast episode and then read along with part of it. Steady time each week matters more than a streak, and our post on longer sessions over short streaks explains why.
Is Greek Hard for English Speakers?
The alphabet is the first new step, and many of its letters, like α, β, and π, are already familiar from math and science. After that, Greek nouns and verbs change their endings to show who is doing what, which takes longer to get used to. Reading plenty of Greek you understand lets you see those endings over and over before you need to use them.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- University of Athens: Modern Greek courses for 2026–2027, with 45-minute teaching hours
- Greek Ministry of Education, Modern Greek Grammar: the 24 letters, letter pairs, and the stress mark
- Centre for the Greek Language: Certificate levels A1 to C2
- GreekPod101: The Greek alphabet
- Easy Languages: Super Easy Greek videos and Easy Greek street interviews
- Super Easy Greek: Podcast for beginners
- LingQ: Greek Mini Stories and course library
- Easy Greek: Podcast
- ERT: ERTFLIX access, regions, and subtitles
