Learn Hardcore Greek: Πιστεύω ότι η καθημερινή εξάσκηση βελτιώνει πολύ τα ελληνικά μου. - I believe that daily practice greatly improves my Greek.

In this sentence, Πιστεύω ότι η καθημερινή εξάσκηση βελτιώνει πολύ τα ελληνικά μου suggests a firm belief in the value of daily practice, not just a casual opinion.

You could say:
Νομίζω ότι η καθημερινή εξάσκηση βελτιώνει πολύ τα ελληνικά μου,
but it sounds slightly less strong or a bit more tentative.

What is the role of ότι here? Is it the same as English that?

Yes. Ότι introduces a subordinate clause and works like English that in sentences such as I believe that….

Structure:

Πιστεύω = I believe
ότι = that
η καθημερινή εξάσκηση βελτιώνει πολύ τα ελληνικά μου = daily practice greatly improves my Greek

So everything after ότι is the content of what you believe.

In everyday speech, especially after verbs like λέω, ξέρω, πιστεύω, ελπίζω, ότι is often kept, but sometimes it can be dropped, especially in more casual or fast speech. Here, it sounds very natural and clear to include it.

Could we use πως instead of ότι in this sentence?

Yes, you can say:

Πιστεύω πως η καθημερινή εξάσκηση βελτιώνει πολύ τα ελληνικά μου.

In modern Greek, in this kind of sentence, πως and ότι are usually interchangeable and both mean that.

Very rough tendencies:

Ότι can sound a bit more neutral or slightly more formal in writing.
Πως can feel a bit more colloquial or natural in speech for some speakers.

However, the difference here is small; both are perfectly correct.

Why do we say η καθημερινή εξάσκηση with the article η and not just καθημερινή εξάσκηση?

In Greek, you often use the definite article (ο / η / το) with general, abstract, or generic subjects much more than in English.

Η καθημερινή εξάσκηση βελτιώνει πολύ τα ελληνικά μου.
Literally: The daily practice improves my Greek a lot.
Meaning: Daily practice in general improves my Greek a lot.

If you drop the article and say Καθημερινή εξάσκηση βελτιώνει πολύ τα ελληνικά μου, it sounds unusual or incomplete as a subject. Native speakers would almost always include η here.

The article η also shows:

gender: feminine
number: singular
case: nominative (because η καθημερινή εξάσκηση is the subject of the verb)

What is the function of καθημερινή and why does it end in -ή?

Καθημερινή is an adjective meaning daily.

It describes εξάσκηση (practice), which is:

feminine
singular
nominative

So the adjective must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case:

feminine nominative singular form of καθημερινός is καθημερινή.

Pattern:

masculine: καθημερινός
feminine: καθημερινή
neuter: καθημερινό

That is why we say η καθημερινή εξάσκηση and not ο καθημερινός εξάσκηση or το καθημερινό εξάσκηση.

What exactly does εξάσκηση mean here, and how is it different from άσκηση?

Εξάσκηση means practice / exercising in the sense of repeatedly doing something to improve a skill, like practicing a language, an instrument, or a sport.

Άσκηση can mean:

an exercise (for example, a written exercise in a book)
exercise in the physical sense (working out)
sometimes also practice, but εξάσκηση is more directly about practicing a skill over time.

So:

η εξάσκηση στα ελληνικά = practice in Greek (the activity of practicing)
μια άσκηση γραμματικής = a grammar exercise (one exercise)

In this sentence, η καθημερινή εξάσκηση clearly means daily practice of Greek.

Why is βελτιώνει in the third person singular form?

Βελτιώνει is the 3rd person singular of the verb βελτιώνω (to improve something).

In this sentence, the subject is η καθημερινή εξάσκηση (daily practice).
So the verb must agree:

subject: η καθημερινή εξάσκηση (she/it)
verb: βελτιώνει = (it) improves

Rough parallel to English:

Daily practice improves my Greek a lot.
Daily practice = it → improves

If you changed the subject to plural, the verb would change too:

Οι καθημερινές ασκήσεις βελτιώνουν πολύ τα ελληνικά μου.
(The daily exercises greatly improve my Greek.)
Here βελτιώνουν is 3rd person plural, matching οι καθημερινές ασκήσεις.

What is the role of πολύ in βελτιώνει πολύ τα ελληνικά μου and where can it go?

Πολύ here is an adverb meaning a lot / greatly / very much.
It modifies the verb βελτιώνει.

Basic pattern:

βελτιώνει πολύ = improves a lot

Word order is flexible. The most natural choices here are:

βελτιώνει πολύ τα ελληνικά μου
βελτιώνει τα ελληνικά μου πολύ

Both sound fine in everyday speech. The version in the original sentence is probably the most common and smooth.

If πολύ were used as an adjective (meaning much / many), it would change form (πολύς, πολλή, πολύ, πολλοί…), but here it stays πολύ because it is an adverb.

Why do we say τα ελληνικά μου and not just ελληνικά or η ελληνική μου γλώσσα?

Τα ελληνικά is the usual way to refer to the Greek language as a skill or subject, especially in the sense of my Greek (language ability). It is neuter plural:

τα ελληνικά = Greek (as a language, as a subject)
τα αγγλικά = English
τα γαλλικά = French, etc.

So:

τα ελληνικά μου = my Greek (how well I know/speak Greek)

You could say η ελληνική μου γλώσσα (my Greek language), but that sounds more formal or unusual in this everyday context. The standard natural expression is τα ελληνικά μου.

Just ελληνικά without the article and without μου would feel incomplete here, because you want to say my Greek, not just Greek in general.

Why is there a definite article τα before ελληνικά, since in English we usually say my Greek without the?

Greek uses the definite article ο / η / το / οι / τα much more than English, including before languages when we talk about them as objects or skills.

τα ελληνικά literally: the Greek (language)
τα ελληνικά μου: the Greek (language) of mine → my Greek

In this structure, μου is a weak possessive pronoun that attaches after the noun, and the noun almost always keeps the article:

το βιβλίο μου = my book
το σπίτι σου = your house
τα ελληνικά μου = my Greek

Leaving out the article (ελληνικά μου) would sound wrong here. The trio article + noun + weak possessive pronoun is the standard pattern.