Learn Hardcore Greek: Η δασκάλα μας είναι πολύ δημιουργική και φέρνει πάντα καινούριο υλικό στην τάξη ή μας το στέλνει με email. - Our teacher female is very creative and always brings new material to class or sends it to us by email.

In this sentence the subject is a female teacher (η δασκάλα), so δημιουργική is the correct form. Δημιουργικός would be used with a masculine noun (ο δάσκαλος).

Why does πολύ not change form here? Why not πολλή δημιουργική?

Here πολύ is an adverb meaning very, modifying the adjective δημιουργική.

As an adverb, πολύ is invariable (it does not change form):
- πολύ δημιουργική = very creative
- πολύ καλός / πολύ καλή / πολύ καλό = very good

The changing forms (πολύς, πολλή, πολύ) are used when it is an adjective meaning many / much:

πολλή δουλειά = a lot of work (feminine)
πολύς κόσμος = many people (masculine)
πολύ νερό = much water (neuter)

So:

πολύ δημιουργική = very creative (adverb + adjective)
πολλή δημιουργικότητα = a lot of creativity (adjective + noun)

What tense and meaning does είναι have here?

Είναι is the present tense, 3rd person singular of είμαι (to be).

είναι = he is / she is / it is / they are (depending on context)

In this sentence:

Η δασκάλα μας είναι πολύ δημιουργική
→ Our teacher is very creative.

The present tense here expresses a general, permanent characteristic, not something happening just right now.

Why is φέρει not used? Why φέρνει in φέρνει πάντα καινούριο υλικό?

Φέρνει is the present simple (imperfective aspect) of φέρνω (to bring), 3rd person singular.

φέρνει = she brings / she is bringing (habitually or repeatedly)

Greek uses the present tense for habits and regular actions, just like English:

Η δασκάλα μας φέρνει πάντα καινούριο υλικό.
→ Our teacher always brings new material. (habitual)

Φέρει also exists, but it is very formal / literary, more common in legal or very formal written language, not in everyday speech. Φέρνει is the normal spoken form.

What is the difference between καινούριο and νέο for “new”? Why καινούριο υλικό?

Both καινούριος and νέος can mean new, but there is a nuance:

καινούριος / καινούριο: new in the sense of brand‑new, fresh, not used before, newly created.
νέος / νέο: new in the sense of recent / young / not old, often about age in time or young people.

Examples:

καινούριο υλικό = new (fresh) material, new worksheets, activities that we haven’t seen before.
νέο πρόγραμμα = a new (recently introduced) program.
νέος δάσκαλος = a young teacher.

In this context, καινούριο υλικό suggests the teacher is always bringing fresh, different material, not the same old stuff.

Why is υλικό singular and not plural? Can you say υλικά here?

Υλικό (material) is often used as an uncountable noun, similar to material in English:

διδασκαλικό υλικό = teaching material
εκπαιδευτικό υλικό = educational material

In this sentence:

καινούριο υλικό = new material (as a general mass/collection of resources)

You can say καινούρια υλικά, but that sounds more like different kinds of materials, treated as separate countable items (e.g. different physical materials in a science experiment). For teaching resources, the singular υλικό is more natural.

What does στην τάξη literally mean, and why στην?

Στην τάξη is a contraction:

σε
- την → στην

So literally it is in the class / into the class / to the classroom.

στην τάξη = into the classroom / in class

The preposition σε can mean in, on, at, to, depending on context. When followed by the definite article, it usually contracts:

σε + την τάξη → στην τάξη
σε + τον δάσκαλο → στον δάσκαλο
σε + το σπίτι → στο σπίτι

Here, φέρνει ... στην τάξη = she brings (it) to the classroom / into the class.

Where can πάντα go in the sentence? Is φέρνει πάντα the only correct order?

Πάντα means always, and its position is quite flexible. All of these are possible:

Η δασκάλα μας πάντα φέρνει καινούριο υλικό.
Η δασκάλα μας φέρνει πάντα καινούριο υλικό.
Πάντα η δασκάλα μας φέρνει καινούριο υλικό. (more emphatic)

The most neutral/common positions are:

πάντα right after the subject:
- Η δασκάλα μας πάντα φέρνει...
or right after the verb:
- φέρνει πάντα καινούριο υλικό...

In your sentence, φέρνει πάντα is very natural and common.

In ή μας το στέλνει, what does μας mean here, and why is it before the verb?

Here μας is an object pronoun meaning to us or us (indirect object):

μας το στέλνει = she sends it to us

Breakdown:

μας = to us (indirect object, dative-like usage)
το = it (direct object, neuter)
στέλνει = she sends

In Greek, these clitic pronouns usually go before the verb in normal (non‑imperative, non‑subjunctive) clauses:

Μας το λέει. = She tells it to us.
Του το δίνω. = I give it to him.

So μας is not possessive here (not “our”), but the indirect object: she sends it (to us).

Why is the order μας το στέλνει and not το μας στέλνει or στέλνει μας το?

When you have two object pronouns together (indirect + direct), Greek follows a fixed order:

Indirect object pronoun (μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους)
Direct object pronoun (τον, την, το, τους, τις, τα)

So:

μας το στέλνει = she sends it to us
του το λέω = I tell it to him
σου το δίνω = I give it to you

Το μας στέλνει is incorrect word order for clitics, and στέλνει μας το sounds wrong in standard modern Greek (clitics almost always precede the verb in this kind of clause).

Why is it με email and not something like στο email or από email?

Here με means by / via / with, expressing the means or instrument:

με email = by email, via email
με το τρένο = by train
με το τηλέφωνο = by phone

So:

μας το στέλνει με email
→ She sends it to us by email.

Στο email would mean to the email (location/destination), which is not how English or Greek usually express this idea. Από email (from email) is also not used for this purpose.

What is the function of ή here? Do you need to repeat the verb after ή?

Ή means or. It connects two alternative actions by the same subject:

φέρει πάντα καινούριο υλικό στην τάξη
ή
μας το στέλνει με email

= She always brings new material to class, or she sends it to us by email.

You do not need to repeat the verb φέρει before μας το στέλνει, because στέλνει is already there. Each part has its own verb:

First part: φέρει (brings)
Second part: στέλνει (sends)

What you might be thinking of is cases like:

Πηγαίνει στο σχολείο ή στη δουλειά;
(One verb, two possible destinations.)

Here, we don’t repeat the verb because it is the same verb for both options. In your sentence, the two verbs are different, so each one is written once.

Can the sentence start with Πάντα? For example: Πάντα η δασκάλα μας είναι πολύ δημιουργική... Is that natural?

Yes, you can start with Πάντα, but the nuance changes a bit.

Η δασκάλα μας είναι πάντα πολύ δημιουργική...
= more neutral: Our teacher is always very creative…
Πάντα η δασκάλα μας είναι πολύ δημιουργική...
= more emphatic, like: It’s always our teacher who is very creative… (and maybe others aren’t).

So:

Grammatically correct: Πάντα η δασκάλα μας...
But in everyday speech, the less emphatic order Η δασκάλα μας είναι πάντα πολύ δημιουργική... is more typical.