The honest answer depends on your goal, your native language and how regularly you study. But there are useful numbers. The US Foreign Service Institute puts Greek in its Category III, "hard languages", at about 1,100 class hours for an English speaker to reach professional working proficiency. For everyday goals you need far less: a basic conversation (A2) is within reach in a few months of regular study.
Study hours per level (cumulative estimates)
| Level | What you can do | Total hours (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Read the alphabet, introduce yourself, order in a café, simple questions | 80–120 |
| A2 | Everyday situations: shopping, directions, talking about your day and the past | 200–250 |
| B1 | Get by on your own in Greece, follow simple conversations, write a short letter | 400–500 |
| B2 | Discuss most topics, follow the news, work in a Greek-speaking setting with effort | 650–800 |
| C1 | Fluent and precise, read literature and professional texts | 900–1,100 |
| C2 | Near-native mastery, nuance, style and register | 1,200+ |
These ranges are for adults studying with a structured course plus some reading and listening. They are estimates, not promises.
How long in weeks and months?
| Daily study | A1 | A2 | B1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 minutes a day | 8–12 months | about 2 years | 3–4 years |
| 1 hour a day | 3–4 months | 7–8 months | about 15 months |
| 2 hours a day | 6–8 weeks | 3–4 months | 7–8 months |
What makes it faster or slower
- Your native language. Speakers of a Romance or Slavic language, or anyone who studied Ancient Greek or Latin, recognise more vocabulary and grammar ideas (cases, gender) and usually go faster.
- Regularity. Twenty minutes every day beats three hours once a week. Memory needs repetition at intervals.
- Feedback. Exercises that correct you immediately stop mistakes from settling in.
- Exposure. Reading and listening to Greek you can understand multiplies the effect of every study hour.
- Speaking practice. Without it, people often understand much more than they can say.
What is hard about Greek, and what is not
The alphabet looks like the hardest part, but it takes only a few evenings. Pronunciation is regular: once you know the letters, you can read any word aloud. The real work is grammar: three genders, four cases and a verb system built on aspect (continuous or one-off action). Vocabulary is easier than it looks, because thousands of international words come from Greek.
How to start
- Learn the alphabet in one or two evenings.
- Take the free 2-minute placement test if you already know some Greek.
- Do a few free A1 exercises every day, and read a short graded story each week.
- If you need a certificate, plan around the Ελληνομάθεια exam dates.
For a full method, see how to learn Greek; for tools, see the best resources for learning Greek.