Η ικανότητα βελτιώνεται με εξάσκηση.

Η is the definite article here, meaning the.

So literally, Η ικανότητα is the ability.

However, Greek often uses the definite article with abstract nouns in a way that English does not. So:

• Η ικανότητα βελτιώνεται με εξάσκηση. = Ability improves with practice.

Even though Greek has the, English usually drops it in this kind of general statement.

Also, ικανότητα is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine singular article η.

No. In Modern Greek, Η here is pronounced ee.

So:

• Η = ee
• η ικανότητα sounds roughly like ee i-ka-NO-ti-ta

It is not an h sound.

Ικανότητα is in the nominative singular, and it is the subject of the sentence.

You can tell because it is the thing that improves:

• Η ικανότητα = the subject
• βελτιώνεται = improves / is improved

So the structure is basically:

• Η ικανότητα = ability
• βελτιώνεται = improves
• με εξάσκηση = with practice

Βελτιώνεται is the 3rd person singular present form of the verb βελτιώνομαι / βελτιώνεται in the mediopassive form.

It agrees with η ικανότητα, which is singular:

• η ικανότητα = singular
• so the verb is also singular: βελτιώνεται

This form is very common in Greek when something changes or improves itself / undergoes improvement.

So even though it looks passive to an English speaker, it is very naturally translated as:

• improves

not just:

• is improved

It can suggest either idea depending on context, but in this sentence the most natural English translation is:

• Ability improves with practice.

Greek often uses this kind of mediopassive form where English prefers an active intransitive verb like improve.

Compare:

• Η ικανότητα βελτιώνεται με εξάσκηση. = Ability improves with practice.

But you could also rephrase the idea more actively in Greek:

• Η εξάσκηση βελτιώνει την ικανότητα. = Practice improves ability.

So the original sentence is natural Greek, and English usually translates it with improves.

A learner will often meet it under the verb βελτιώνω (improve) and its mediopassive counterpart βελτιώνομαι (improve / get better / be improved).

Useful forms:

• βελτιώνω = I improve something
• βελτιώνεται = it improves / it is improved
• βελτιώνομαι = I improve / I get better / I am improved

So in this sentence, the subject is not improving something else. Instead, ability is the thing that becomes better.

Με means with, and here it expresses means or method:

• με εξάσκηση = with practice / through practice

So the sentence means that practice is the way ability improves.

This is very similar to English:

• with practice
• through practice

After με, Greek uses the accusative.

So εξάσκηση here is in the accusative singular.

A very important detail: for many feminine nouns like this one, the nominative singular and accusative singular have the same form.

So:

• nominative: η εξάσκηση
• accusative: την εξάσκηση / εξάσκηση

That is why it looks unchanged after με.

Because Greek often leaves out the article with nouns used in a general, non-specific sense, especially in phrases like this.

So:

• με εξάσκηση = with practice in general

If you add the article:

• με την εξάσκηση

it can sound more specific, or simply a bit more marked depending on context.

In this sentence, με εξάσκηση is very natural and idiomatic for a general truth.

Yes. That is exactly how it is being used.

The present tense in Greek often expresses:

• a general truth
• something habitual
• something that happens regularly

So Η ικανότητα βελτιώνεται με εξάσκηση means something like:

• Ability improves with practice
• Skill improves through practice

It is not necessarily talking about one single moment right now.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English, although this version is the most neutral and straightforward:

• Η ικανότητα βελτιώνεται με εξάσκηση.

Other word orders are possible for emphasis, such as:

• Με εξάσκηση βελτιώνεται η ικανότητα.

This puts more emphasis on with practice.

So the original order is the plain, standard way to say it.

Ικανότητα usually means ability, capability, or competence.

Depending on context, English might sometimes use:

• ability
• skill
• capability

But the core meaning is ability/capacity.

If Greek wanted to focus more specifically on a learned skill, another word might be used in some contexts, but ικανότητα is perfectly natural here.

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

ee i-ka-NO-ti-ta vel-ti-O-ne-te me ex-A-ski-si

A few helpful points:

• η = ee
• ξ = ks
• the accent mark shows which syllable is stressed:
  • ικανότητα → stress on νό
  • βελτιώνεται → stress on ώ
  • εξάσκηση → stress on ά

So the rhythm is:

Η ικανότητα βελτιώνεται με εξάσκηση.
ee i-ka-NO-ti-ta vel-ti-O-ne-te me ex-A-ski-si