Learn Greek from Italian for Free at PBC Languages
Native teachers, small groups, and free 30/30 exchanges with Greek natives. See which sounds trip up Italian speakers and which words you already know.
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If you speak Italian, three Greek sounds will slow you down at first: θ (as in θάλασσα, 'sea'), δ (as in δρόμος, 'street') and the fricative γ (as in γάλα, 'milk'). Italian has none of these, so your mouth wants to turn them into t, d and g, and Greeks will notice immediately. The rolled ρ, on the other hand, is basically free for you: it works almost the same as the Italian r. The other trap is stress: Greek marks it with a written accent (the tonos) and it can land on any of the last three syllables, changing the meaning of otherwise identical words, something Italian's much more predictable stress doesn't prepare you for.
Vocabulary is where you get a real head start, thanks to centuries of Venetian rule in the Ionian Islands and the Italian occupation of the Dodecanese: πόρτα (door), φούρνος (oven), μπάνιο (bathroom) and σκάλα (stairs) are Italian loanwords with almost no change. But that same closeness creates traps. παπάς means an ordinary parish priest, not the Pope, even though it sounds like 'papa'. χάρτης means map, not paper, so if you ask for a χαρτί thinking of 'carta' you'll get a sheet of paper, not the map you wanted.
Structurally, the biggest habit to break is reaching for an infinitive: Greek doesn't have one, and where Italian says 'voglio andare', Greek uses θέλω να πάω, a 'να' construction that feels unnatural until you've heard it enough times. Gender, at least, isn't a new concept for you, Greek just adds a third one (neuter) and different endings to learn. This is exactly the kind of detail a native teacher catches in five minutes and that takes weeks to notice on your own.
Words you will actually hear
| Here | Elsewhere | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| πόρτα | porta | Same word, same meaning, door. Direct loan from Venetian rule in the Ionian Islands, no adjustment needed. |
| ώρα | ora | Both come from Latin 'hora'. Telling time in Greek will feel familiar almost from day one. |
| φούρνος | forno | Oven, another Italian loanword. Cooking vocabulary in Greek is full of these gifts. |
| μπάνιο | bagno | Bathroom in both languages, borrowed with barely any change in sound. |
| σκάλα | scala | Stairs in both. One less word to actively memorize. |
| γάτα | gatta | Female cat, same root, easy to recognize the first time you hear it. |
| παπάς | papa | False friend: παπάς is just an ordinary priest, not the Pope, despite the resemblance to 'papa'. |
| χάρτης | carta | χάρτης means map, not paper. Ask for χαρτί if you actually want a sheet of paper. |
| φίλος | filo | False friend by sound: φίλος means friend, while Italian 'filo' means thread or wire. |
| στάση | stasi | In Greek this is the everyday word for a bus or tram stop; in Italian 'stasi' is a technical term for standstill, rarely used in daily speech. |
How it works here
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Two minutes. If you do not know your level, we place you in the first class.
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Classes are led by a native teacher. An exchange is with another member: half the time in their language, half in yours.
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Questions about this
How long does it take for an Italian speaker to get comfortable in Greek?
The loanwords and shared concept of grammatical gender give you a faster start than most learners get, especially for everyday vocabulary. But the sound system (θ, δ, γ) and the stress patterns still take real listening practice to internalize. Regular exchanges with Greek natives are what actually fix your ear to the accent, not just study time.
Is the exchange really free, no catch?
Yes. You pair up with a Greek native who wants to practice Italian, and you split the session: half an hour in Greek, half an hour in Italian. Nobody pays anyone, you're each other's practice partner.
What level do I need to join an exchange?
You can start from A1 if your partner is patient and you're both clear about it beforehand, since a good match adjusts pace on both sides. The small group classes with native teachers are more structured by level, so those are a better fit if you want zero improvisation.
How exactly does the time split work in an exchange?
You agree on the order beforehand, say the first half in Greek so your partner practices listening to you struggle a bit, then the second half in Italian where you get to relax. It's a real conversation the whole time, not a lesson, so bring topics you actually want to talk about.
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