Learn Hardcore Greek: Αν είχα διαβάσει περισσότερο, θα είχα πάρει ακόμα καλύτερο βαθμό. - If I had studied more, I would have gotten an even better grade.

Αν είχα διαβάσει περισσότερο
If I had studied more (but I didn’t)
θα είχα πάρει ακόμα καλύτερο βαθμό
I would have gotten an even better grade (but I didn’t)

So είχα διαβάσει / θα είχα πάρει correspond to had studied / would have gotten.

What tense is είχα διαβάσει and how is it formed?

Είχα διαβάσει is the past perfect (υπερσυντέλικος).

It’s formed with:

the auxiliary είχα (I had)
plus the non‑past aorist stem (often called “perfective infinitive/participle” in learner materials), here διαβάσει.

So:

είχα διαβάσει = I had read / I had studied
είχα πάρει = I had taken / I had gotten

In this sentence, both verbs in the conditional use the past perfect to express an unreal situation in the past.

Why not say Αν διάβασα περισσότερο, θα πήρα ακόμα καλύτερο βαθμό with simple past forms?

That version is not correct for this meaning.

Διάβασα / πήρα (simple past) normally describe real, completed past events.
The original sentence talks about a hypothetical situation that did not happen.

To talk about this kind of unreal past:

You need αν + past perfect in the “if” clause (είχα διαβάσει).
And typically θα + past perfect in the result clause (θα είχα πάρει).

Using simple past would sound like you actually did study more and actually did get a better grade, which is the opposite of the intended meaning.

What is the difference between Αν είχα διαβάσει περισσότερο, θα είχα πάρει... and Αν διάβαζα περισσότερο, θα έπαιρνα...?

Both are grammatical, but not identical:

Αν είχα διαβάσει περισσότερο, θα είχα πάρει...
– Focuses on one specific, completed past situation that did not happen.
– Closer to: If I had studied more, I would have gotten...
– Very clearly unreal in the past.
Αν διάβαζα περισσότερο, θα έπαιρνα...
– Uses the imperfect (διάβαζα, έπαιρνα) and is a bit more general or habitual:
– Can mean:
- If I studied more (in general / whenever), I would (generally) get a better grade, or
- If I had been studying more (around that time), I would (probably) have gotten a better grade.

Context often decides whether it’s a timeless/general statement or about a particular situation.
For a very clear, one‑off past counterfactual (like in exams), είχα διαβάσει / θα είχα πάρει is the most precise.

Why does the result clause also use past perfect (θα είχα πάρει) and not just θα έπαιρνα?

Both are possible, but there is a nuance:

θα είχα πάρει
– Stays in the same past time frame as the condition.
– Parallel to English would have gotten.
– Very typical in “third conditional” sentences about one specific event.
θα έπαιρνα
– Is imperfect (would get / would be getting).
– Can sound a bit more general or hypothetical, less tightly anchored to a single past event.

For exam‑style or very precise counterfactuals, είχα διαβάσει – θα είχα πάρει is the most transparent pairing.

What exactly does διαβάζω mean here? “To read” or “to study”?

In Greek, διαβάζω means both:

to read (a book, a newspaper, etc.)
to study / do homework / prepare for an exam

In this context, with βαθμό (grade), είχα διαβάσει clearly means I had studied (for school, an exam, etc.), not just casually read something.

So the natural translation is If I had studied more, not just If I had read more.

What does περισσότερο mean, and could I say πιο πολύ instead?

Περισσότερο means more (in quantity/degree).

είχα διαβάσει περισσότερο = I had studied more.

You can also say:

Αν είχα διαβάσει πιο πολύ, θα είχα πάρει...

πιο πολύ is very common in spoken Greek and is practically equivalent here.
περισσότερο is slightly more neutral/standard; πιο πολύ can sound a bit more colloquial, but both are fine.

What does ακόμα καλύτερο βαθμό mean exactly, and can I use ακόμη instead of ακόμα?

ακόμα καλύτερο βαθμό = an even better grade.
Here ακόμα intensifies καλύτερο (‘better’), just like English “even better”.

You can also say:

ακόμη καλύτερο βαθμό

ακόμα and ακόμη are effectively interchangeable in modern Greek in this meaning.
Some people feel ακόμη is a bit more “formal” or “careful writing”, but in everyday use there is no real difference here.

Why is there no article before βαθμό? Why not τον βαθμό?

Βαθμό here is in the accusative singular (a grade), and the absence of the article makes it indefinite:

ακόμα καλύτερο βαθμό = an even better grade (not a specific one already known to the listener).

You would use the article τον if you were referring to a specific grade already mentioned or known:

Αν είχα διαβάσει περισσότερο, ο καθηγητής θα μου είχε βάλει τον καλύτερο βαθμό.
If I had studied more, the teacher would have given me the best grade.

In the original sentence, we’re talking about the grade hypothetically, in general, so no article is natural.

Can I reverse the order of the two clauses? Is Θα είχα πάρει ακόμα καλύτερο βαθμό, αν είχα διαβάσει περισσότερο correct?

Yes, that is completely correct and natural:

Θα είχα πάρει ακόμα καλύτερο βαθμό, αν είχα διαβάσει περισσότερο.

In Greek, as in English, you can put the result clause first:

I would have gotten an even better grade if I had studied more.

Meaning and grammar stay the same; you just change the emphasis slightly.

Is αν always used for “if”? Can I use άμα instead here?

Αν is the standard word for if in Greek.

Άμα can often replace αν, especially in spoken and informal Greek, and it works here too:

Άμα είχα διαβάσει περισσότερο, θα είχα πάρει ακόμα καλύτερο βαθμό.

Nuance:

αν – neutral, works in all registers (spoken, written, formal, informal).
άμα – more colloquial, sounds very natural in everyday speech.

Both give the same meaning in this sentence.