Learn Hardcore Greek: Όταν βλέπω πόσο έχω προχωρήσει στα ελληνικά, νιώθω ζωντανός και χαρούμενος, σαν να ανοίγει μια καινούρια γέφυρα προς την Ελλάδα. - When I see how much I have progressed in Greek, I feel alive and happy, as if a new bridge toward Greece is opening.

Όταν + present tense = something that happens regularly or generally
- Όταν βλέπω πόσο έχω προχωρήσει…
  = When(ever) I see how much I’ve progressed…

If you say:

Όταν δω πόσο έχω προχωρήσει…
you use δω (aorist subjunctive of βλέπω) and this usually refers to a future, one‑time event:
- When I (eventually) see how much I’ve progressed… (once, at some point)

So the original sentence uses βλέπω because it talks about a repeated feeling every time you notice your progress, not one specific future moment.

What exactly does πόσο έχω προχωρήσει mean, and why use the perfect tense έχω προχωρήσει?

πόσο έχω προχωρήσει literally = "how much I have advanced / how far I have come".

πόσο = how much / how far
έχω προχωρήσει is the present perfect of προχωρώ (to move forward / to progress), just like English "I have progressed".

The perfect tense is used because:

it looks at the result up to now: your progress accumulated over time
it connects past studying with your current level.

You could say:

πόσο πολύ έχω προχωρήσει = how very much I’ve progressed (stronger emphasis)

πόσο προχώρησα (simple past) would sound more like you are looking back at a finished period of study, not your ongoing progress up to now.

What is the nuance of the verb προχωρώ here? Is it literally “to walk forward”?

Yes, προχωρώ literally means "to move forward / go ahead / advance" in space, but it is very commonly used metaphorically for progress:

Έχω προχωρήσει πολύ στη δουλειά μου.
I’ve progressed a lot in my work.
Προχωράμε καλά με το project.
We’re moving along well with the project.

So πόσο έχω προχωρήσει στα ελληνικά = "how far I’ve come in Greek", not about physically walking but about your level in the language.

Why is it στα ελληνικά and not something like στην ελληνική?

στα ελληνικά is the normal, everyday way to say "in Greek (the language)".

Grammar points:

στα = σε + τα (preposition + definite article, neuter plural)
ελληνικά is the neuter plural form of the adjective ελληνικός (Greek).

In Modern Greek, languages are usually expressed as:

τα ελληνικά – Greek
τα αγγλικά – English
τα ισπανικά – Spanish

So:

στα ελληνικά literally: in the Greek (words / language) → simply in Greek.

You could say στην ελληνική γλώσσα (in the Greek language), but that is more formal and not needed in everyday speech.

What’s the difference between νιώθω and αισθάνομαι? Could we use αισθάνομαι here?

Both νιώθω and αισθάνομαι mean "to feel", and in everyday speech they often overlap.

νιώθω is shorter, very common, and perfectly neutral:
- Νιώθω ζωντανός και χαρούμενος.
αισθάνομαι can sound a bit more formal or introspective, but is still widely used:
- Αισθάνομαι ζωντανός και χαρούμενος.

In this sentence, you can replace νιώθω with αισθάνομαι without changing the meaning in any important way:

…αισθάνομαι ζωντανός και χαρούμενος… is fully correct.

Why are ζωντανός and χαρούμενος in the masculine form? What changes if the speaker is a woman?

Adjectives in Greek must agree with the gender, number, and case of the subject.

Here the subject is (εγώ), understood as a male speaker:

νιώθω ζωντανός και χαρούμενος
I feel alive and happy. (said by a man)

If a woman is speaking, the adjectives must be feminine:

νιώθω ζωντανή και χαρούμενη.

If we are speaking (more than one person), they become plural:

νιώθουμε ζωντανοί και χαρούμενοι. (a group including at least one man)
νιώθουμε ζωντανές και χαρούμενες. (group of women only)

Shouldn’t it be adverbs like ζωντανά or χαρούμενα after νιώθω, not adjectives?

No. In Greek, after verbs like:

είμαι (to be)
νιώθω / αισθάνομαι (to feel)
φαίνομαι (to seem)

you normally use adjectives to describe a state, not adverbs:

Νιώθω καλά. (I feel well / good. – καλά here is an adverb but functions like a state)
Νιώθω κουρασμένος. (I feel tired.)
Νιώθω ζωντανός και χαρούμενος.

Forms like ζωντανά or χαρούμενα would describe how something is done (manner), not what state you’re in, so they don’t fit here. The adjectives ζωντανός, χαρούμενος correctly describe how I am.

What does the structure σαν να ανοίγει mean? Is να ανοίγει subjunctive or indicative?

σαν να means "as if".

The pattern is:

σαν να + verb = as if [something were happening]

Grammatically, after να we use the subjunctive form of the verb. For many verbs, the present subjunctive looks the same as the present indicative, so ανοίγει here is:

present subjunctive (imperfective) of ανοίγω.

Meaning:

σαν να ανοίγει μια καινούρια γέφυρα…
= as if a new bridge is opening…
(a vivid, imagined scene, not something literally happening)

So the structure expresses an imaginary / metaphorical situation that feels real.

Why is the word order σαν να ανοίγει μια καινούρια γέφυρα and not σαν να μια καινούρια γέφυρα ανοίγει?

Greek has flexible word order, but not all orders sound equally natural.

In σαν να ανοίγει μια καινούρια γέφυρα:

ανοίγει (verb) comes first
μια καινούρια γέφυρα (subject) follows

Putting the verb first is very common, especially when you are introducing new information (here, the idea of a new bridge).

You could say:

σαν να ανοίγει μια καινούρια γέφυρα – natural, neutral
σαν να μια καινούρια γέφυρα ανοίγει – sounds awkward or strongly marked, not usual here

So the original order is the most idiomatic and fluent in this context.

Why is it προς την Ελλάδα and not στην Ελλάδα or για την Ελλάδα?

The preposition προς means "towards" and emphasizes direction / orientation.

In this metaphor:

μια καινούρια γέφυρα προς την Ελλάδα
= a new bridge towards Greece

It suggests connection / movement in the direction of Greece, which fits very well with the idea of learning Greek building a bridge toward the country and culture.

Other options:

στην Ελλάδα = to / in Greece (location or destination, less about toward)
για την Ελλάδα = for Greece or about Greece (different meaning)

So προς is chosen to preserve the idea of direction and approach, not just location.

Why is it να ανοίγει and not να ανοίξει after σαν να?

The difference is aspect:

να ανοίγει → imperfective aspect
- focuses on an ongoing process
- here: as if a new bridge is opening (unfolding, appearing)
να ανοίξει → perfective aspect
- focuses on a single, completed event (as if it opened at one point)

With σαν να, the imperfective (να ανοίγει) is more natural for:

a vivid, continuous scene you are imagining or feeling.

σαν να ανοίξει μια γέφυρα would sound odd here, as if you’re talking about a hypothetical sudden event, not an emotional image.

Why are there commas after ελληνικά and before σαν να?

The commas reflect the structure of the sentence:

First comma after ελληνικά:
- separates the dependent clause from the main clause:
- Όταν βλέπω πόσο έχω προχωρήσει στα ελληνικά, νιώθω…
  = When I see…, I feel…
- Just like in English: When I see…, I feel…
Second comma before σαν να:
- sets off the comparative / as-if clause:
- …νιώθω ζωντανός και χαρούμενος, σαν να ανοίγει…
- similar to English: …I feel alive and happy, as if a new bridge is opening…

Both commas help the reader see where each clause begins and ends.

Could we drop πόσο and just say Όταν βλέπω έχω προχωρήσει στα ελληνικά…?

No, Όταν βλέπω έχω προχωρήσει στα ελληνικά… is ungrammatical.
You need something for βλέπω to “see”:

Όταν βλέπω πόσο έχω προχωρήσει…
When I see how much I’ve progressed…

If you want to avoid πόσο, you must change the structure:

Όταν βλέπω την πρόοδό μου στα ελληνικά, νιώθω…
When I see my progress in Greek, I feel…

So πόσο is essential in the original structure to express "how much".

How do you pronounce some of the trickier words in this sentence?

Here is an approximate pronunciation (IPA) with stress marked by ˈ before the stressed syllable:

Όταν – [ˈotan]
βλέπω – [ˈvlepo]
προχωρήσει – [proxoˈɾisi]
στα ελληνικά – [sta eliniˈka]
νιώθω – [ˈɲoθo] (the first sound is like Spanish ñ
- o)
ζωντανός – [zondaˈnos]
χαρούμενος – [xaˈɾume̞nos]
σαν να ανοίγει – [san na aˈniʝi]
γέφυρα – [ˈʝefira]
προς την Ελλάδα – [pros tin eˈlaða]

Key points:

νι before a vowel often sounds like a “ny” ([ɲ]) as in νιώθω.
γ before ε, ι sounds like a soft y or gh ([ʝ]) as in γέφυρα, ανοίγει.