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Some might say that the Greek language is one of the most complex languages in the world.<\/p>\n
But imagine understanding the deep meaning of the very first words ever used<\/strong> to describe music<\/strong>, when music was born. To specify theater<\/strong> when theater was invented. To define medicine<\/strong> when medicine was just a crazy idea. To interpret the laws of nature<\/strong> when physical phenomena were still attributed to ancient gods.<\/p>\n The phrase \u201cit\u2019s all Greek to me\u201d is enough to deter any inquisitive wanderer from daring to take a chance on Greek. Yet, thanks to Greek\u2019s long history, there\u2019s no other language<\/strong> you could study to unlock such unique possibilities.<\/p>\n If you ever thought of learning Greek, wanted to travel to a Greek island, or if you are just interested in getting to know Greek culture, aesthetics and history, this post is for you.<\/p>\n We prepared a detailed guide with everything you need to know (the good and the bad) about the Greek language, and how to conquer it.<\/p>\n Why Learn Greek<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n How Long Does It Take to Learn Greek<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Common Challenges When Learning Greek<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n How To Improve Greek Vocabulary<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n How To Improve Greek Listening Skills<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n How to Practice Greek Conjugation and Declension<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Best Resources To Learn Greek<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Greek has the reputation of being a tough language. So why bother to begin anyway?<\/p>\n If you dream of learning Greek but have trouble getting started<\/strong>, keep reading to get a whole new perspective on the Greek language and the world around it.<\/p>\n The Greek language incorporates the rich history of Greek culture<\/strong>. Greeks established the foundations of philosophy, drama, democracy, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and many other modern disciplines. The Greek language takes us back to the roots, to the first words used to talk about culture, arts and science.<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s a fact that languages carry the history of the people and the nations who developed them. So, whether it\u2019s for a hobby or your profession, fluency in Greek opens up numerous resources allowing you to understand history and its nuances to its full depth.<\/p>\n Greek is one of the<\/strong> oldest recorded living languages<\/strong> in history. Through centuries, it has had a visible impact on the majority of the languages being spoken worldwide.<\/p>\n Did you know that many English-looking words actually have their roots in the Greek language?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at the below:<\/p>\n More than 150,000 words used in English have pure Greek roots. <\/strong><\/p>\n The more knowledgeable you become about Greek, the more connections you\u2019ll start noticing with words in your native tongue that you had no idea originated from Greek.<\/p>\n Because of the contribution the Ancient Greeks made in so many fields, the terminology of many professions includes an array of Greek words.<\/p>\n Famously, medical terms are often derived from Greek words, but the same is also true of astrophysics, biology, theater, and many others. So, there is a chance that knowing Greek will help you better handle all the terms thrown at you at university lectures or in the workplace.<\/p>\n Have you ever heard the words below?<\/p>\n If yes, then you already know some Greek words that existed ever since the beginning of their field. And every single one of them has a fascinating story behind it.<\/p>\n Greece is often considered a go-to place for summer vacations. Learning Greek might come in handy when spending some unforgettable moments in the Greek mainland and the Aegean Islands.<\/p>\n Although you can easily manage to communicate with locals in English, understanding Greek words will enhance your overall travel experience. This is because in Greece, the name of every island, village or beach means something and has a long history behind it.<\/p>\n Understanding Greek and being able to analyze the words will unlock numerous ancient stories, myths and traditional customs. So you\u2019ll be able to discover a whole hidden world where other non-Greek-speaking visitors just see a beautiful landscape.<\/p>\n One of the most usual questions and concerns of people who are interested in learning Greek is \u201chow long will it take?\u201d<\/p>\n Learning Greek means embarking on a long-term journey. A journey that includes a lot of word discovery, consistent studying, patience and persistence. Yet it\u2019s also a journey that will take you back in time, will reveal numerous ancient histories and myths and will always surprise you with the depth and the wealth of the language and the culture it carries.<\/p>\n Exciting as the journey might be, the truth is that learning Greek takes work and time. <\/strong><\/p>\n Of course, exactly how long it takes to learn Greek depends on what your goals are.<\/strong> This directly affects the time it takes for you to be relatively satisfied with your fluency.<\/p>\n Are you learning Greek because you’d like to relocate to Greece and want to deal hassle-free with everyday life? Are you learning Greek because you want to read Plato\u2019s Symposium in its original text? Or are you learning Greek to visit Greece and casually chat with the locals in Mykonos?<\/p>\n They\u2019re all perfectly valid reasons, and they all require a different level of fluency.<\/p>\n The US Department of State\u2019s Foreign Service Institute classifies Greek as Tier 4 language in difficulty to achieve utter fluency if you speak English.<\/strong> They calculate fluency to require approximately 44 weeks or 1100 hours of practice. That means that if you practiced every day for 1 hour, it would take you just over 3 years to get to fluency.<\/p>\n Of course, there are different ways to practice that may work better or worse depending on what studying techniques you’re using. All people learn differently, and not all time spent studying is well spent.<\/p>\n If you want to ensure you\u2019re applying the best practices, check out our article on learning a language fast<\/a> that <\/strong>outlines some of the most efficient ways to learn a new language.<\/strong><\/p>\n Try and see what works best for you. That being said, if you don\u2019t see the great results you expect right away, I want to emphasize that it\u2019s still important to relish any form of fluency you achieve during the process.<\/p>\n Because learning Greek requires commitment. So, the small victories along the way matter if you want to stay motivated.<\/strong><\/p>\n There is a reason why Greek is classified by the FSI as a Tier 4 language when it comes to its difficulty. However, all is not lost!<\/p>\n Like all languages and skills, it\u2019s a process, and you\u2019ll start getting results much faster than you think once you\u2019re past the initial hurdle.<\/strong><\/p>\n To help keep you on the right path, let\u2019s take a look over a few key points to keep in mind at the beginning of your journey.<\/p>\n When scouring the web and libraries for tips, rules, and information on how to write or speak Greek, it is really important to make the distinction between Ancient and Modern Greek. <\/strong><\/p>\n Academics have spent centuries analyzing Ancient Greek, so often the results that come up when looking for \u201cGreek\u201d\u00a0 refer to Ancient Greek. Be careful when starting out, because these definitely aren\u2019t the right resources to use when you’re just beginning with Greek. They won\u2019t be of great help when you\u2019re trying to practice Greek conjugation, because many of the rules don\u2019t apply in Modern Greek.<\/p>\n To a beginner, naturally, Ancient and Modern Greek may seem rather similar, but the reality is Ancient Greek is way more complicated, and it would simply make your life harder.<\/strong><\/p>\n For example, Modern Greek has only two diacritics – written symbols that alter the pronunciation of a word \u2013 while in Ancient Greek the number of diacritics is nearing double digits.<\/p>\n Greek has such a long history and has been morphed by so many cultures through the centuries that sometimes it may feel like there\u2019s an ocean of information. With a single web search, you can come across myriads of resources to learn Greek, each on a different grammatical subject \u2013 even when you\u2019re just looking for resources to help you improve Greek listening skills.<\/p>\n Well, when it comes to learning Greek, the answer is simpler than you think\u2026<\/p>\n You have to start with the alphabet.<\/p>\n You cannot practice Greek conjugation without knowing the alphabet.<\/strong><\/p>\n Do you remember when the entire world wondered \u201cHow do we pronounce Omicron\u201d? The New York Times even wrote an article<\/a> about it. Well, almost <\/em>the entire world was wondering, because we Greeks knew very well how to pronounce it.<\/p>\n Omicron is just a letter of the Greek alphabet. So are Alpha and Delta. You\u2019re probably already familiar with a few letters of the Greek alphabet. However, it is very important to sit down and study the entire thing before you move further.<\/p>\n Unlike Romance languages, Greek has its own alphabet.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nContents<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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\n<\/a>Why Learn Greek<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Education<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Get to know your own language<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Professional terminology<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Tourism<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>How Long Does It Take to Learn Greek<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>What is your purpose?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>What is the difficulty tier of Greek<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Common Challenges When Learning Greek<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Modern vs. Ancient Greek<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>The alphabet <\/strong><\/h3>\n
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