· 7 min read
Learn Greek for Free: Official Courses
By Language Lab editorial team
Learn Greek for free with Staellinika, the Greek foreign ministry's free platform, the BBC's archived Greek guide and the official online level tests.
The main official free way to learn Greek is Staellinika, an online platform created by Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University. The ministry says all the platform's applications are available for free, and that it can be used by anyone wishing to learn Greek. It works in five languages, English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese, and its Beginners Greek course starts with the alphabet and moves through greetings, family, work and daily routines in sessions of 10 to 15 minutes. Add the BBC's archived Guide to Greek for the alphabet and 20 audio phrases, and use the Centre for the Greek Language's free online diagnostic tests, from A1 to C2, to check your level.
The free resources at a glance
| Resource | Who makes it | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Staellinika | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece with the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University | Free beginner courses for children, teenagers and adults, with videos, quizzes and progress tracking |
| A Guide to Greek | BBC (archived) | Ten facts about the language, the alphabet and 20 audio key phrases |
| Talk Greek | BBC (archived) | An introduction to basic Greek in 10 short parts |
| Diagnostic tests | Centre for the Greek Language | Online tests at each level from A1 to C2, with immediate feedback |
| Sample examination papers | Centre for the Greek Language | Sample papers for the Certificate of Attainment in Greek |
Staellinika: the official platform
Staellinika was built for Greeks living abroad, and describes itself as the official platform for teaching and learning Greek in the diaspora. It is not limited to them: the ministry's page on the Greek language says it can be used by diaspora schools, Greek expatriate students of all ages, and anyone wishing to learn Greek. The site reports more than 60,000 learners worldwide.
- Cost: the ministry states that all the platform's applications are available for free, for individual users and for schools.
- Languages of instruction: English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.
- Courses: four Greek language courses for beginners, from preschool age to teenagers and adults, plus Greek mythology courses for younger learners.
- Format: short units designed for learning sessions of 10 to 15 minutes, with flashcards, dialogues, quizzes, achievements and badges.
- Devices: the courses are designed to work on mobile devices.
- Access: you register on the site to begin.
What the Beginners Greek course covers
- Reading and pronouncing the Greek alphabet, upper and lower case.
- Greetings and introductions, formal and informal.
- Personal details and where you live.
- Countries, languages and nationalities, with the right gender and prepositions.
- Family and relationships, using possessives and basic cases.
- Occupations and workplace routines.
- Describing people.
- Daily routines, telling the time and adverbs of frequency.
The limit is the level. Staellinika describes its language courses as targeting beginner learners, so plan to move on to other material once you have finished them.
Start with the alphabet
Greek has its own alphabet of 24 letters. The BBC's guide says it is fairly easy to learn to read Greek, because most letters and sounds already exist in English, but it warns about look-alikes: some letters are identical to Latin ones and sound different. B is pronounced v, and P is pronounced r. Most words of more than one syllable carry an accent that shows where the stress falls, and a Greek question ends with a mark that looks like an English semicolon.
First phrases, free from the BBC
| Greek | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ya sou | Hello |
| Efkharisto | Thank you |
| Parakalo | Please |
| Neh | Yes |
| Okhee | No |
| Then katalavaeno | I don't understand |
These are written in English letters, as the BBC's guide gives them for pronunciation. Learn yes and no as a pair: Neh means yes.
Check your level for free
The Centre for the Greek Language, which runs Greece's state Certificate of Attainment in Greek, offers online diagnostic tests at all six levels from A1 to C2. Each tests reading, listening and use of language, and gives immediate feedback. The Centre is clear that the result is only indicative and does not guarantee success in the real examination. It also publishes sample examination papers and descriptions of what each level requires.
A free weekly plan
- First two weeks, daily: the alphabet with the BBC's guide, a few letters a day, written from memory.
- Five days a week: one or two 10 to 15 minute Staellinika sessions.
- Every day, 5 minutes: BBC key phrases aloud.
- Twice a week: redo the quizzes of an earlier unit before starting a new one.
- Once the beginner course is done: take the Centre's A1 diagnostic test.
The plan relies on practice testing and distributed practice, the two techniques a 2013 review of learning research rated as high utility. Rereading and highlighting were rated low.
How far free takes you
The free official courses cover the beginner stage. Greek as a whole is a longer project: the US State Department places it in Category III, hard languages, at about 44 weeks or 1,012 class hours for English speakers. Free lessons give you reading, listening and vocabulary. Speaking needs practice with a partner. Language Lab's Greek course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, which supplies spoken practice.
Frequently asked
Can I learn Greek for free?
Yes, at beginner level. Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says all the applications of its Staellinika platform are available for free, and the BBC's archived Guide to Greek is free too.
What is Staellinika?
An online platform for teaching and learning Greek, created by Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University and supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
Is Staellinika only for Greeks abroad?
No. It was designed for the Greek diaspora, but the ministry says it can be used by anyone wishing to learn Greek.
Which languages can I learn Greek through on Staellinika?
Five: English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.
Is there a free Greek level test?
Yes. The Centre for the Greek Language offers online diagnostic tests at each level from A1 to C2. The result is indicative only.
How long does it take to learn Greek?
The US State Department lists Greek in Category III, at about 44 weeks or 1,012 class hours for English speakers to reach a speaking and listening score of 3 on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale.
Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, announcement of 16 January 2024 on staellinika.com and the page Greek language; Staellinika, home page, About, Individuals and Beginners Greek; BBC Languages, A Guide to Greek: 10 facts, Key phrases and The Greek alphabet, and Talk Greek (archived pages); Centre for the Greek Language, Diagnostic tests; US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: The Parthenon on the Acropolis, Athens, Jebulon / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons).
