Learn Hardcore Greek: Η εξέλιξη στα ελληνικά φαίνεται στο αποτέλεσμα κάθε μικρού ελέγχου. - The progress in Greek appears in the result of each small test.

Η – the (feminine, nominative, singular article)
εξέλιξη – evolution, development, progress (feminine, nominative, singular)
στα – in the / at the (σε
- τα, preposition + neuter plural article)
ελληνικά – Greek (neuter plural form; here means “the Greek language”)
φαίνεται – is seen / appears (3rd person singular, present, middle/passive of φαίνομαι)
στο – in the / at the (σε
- το, preposition + neuter singular article)
αποτέλεσμα – result, outcome (neuter, accusative singular)
κάθε – every, each (indeclinable; same form for all genders/cases)
μικρού – small (genitive, masculine/neuter singular of μικρός)
ελέγχου – check, test, inspection, control (genitive, masculine singular of έλεγχος)

So literally:
“The progress in (the) Greek (language) is seen in the result of every small test.”

Why is Η εξέλιξη feminine, and what does εξέλιξη actually mean here?

εξέλιξη is a feminine noun in Greek, so it uses the feminine article η (nominative singular).
Grammatically:
- η εξέλιξη – nominative, feminine singular (subject of the sentence).

Meaning:

Literally, εξέλιξη means evolution, development.
In everyday language it can also mean progress / improvement over time, which is how it’s used here: progress in Greek (your development in the language).

You could also say η πρόοδος (fem.) for progress, but εξέλιξη emphasizes development as a process.

What exactly does στα ελληνικά mean, and why is it in the plural?

στα ελληνικά = σε + τα ελληνικά

σε – in, at, on
τα ελληνικά – literally “the Greek (things)”, neuter plural.

In modern Greek, τα ελληνικά is the standard way to say “the Greek language”. Many languages are expressed as neuter plurals:

τα ελληνικά – Greek
τα αγγλικά – English
τα γαλλικά – French

So στα ελληνικά means “in Greek (the language)”, not “in Greece”.

Function in the sentence:

It modifies η εξέλιξη:
- Η εξέλιξη στα ελληνικά = The progress in Greek (as a language).

What is the verb φαίνεται and why is it in this form?

φαίνεται comes from the verb φαίνομαι:

φαίνομαι – to appear, to seem, to be seen
φαίνεται – 3rd person singular, present, middle/passive: “it appears / it is seen”

Here:

Subject is η εξέλιξη (the progress).
So: Η εξέλιξη … φαίνεται … = The progress is seen / appears …

It’s not a passive in the strict English sense (“is seen by someone”), but more like an intransitive “is visible / shows”:

Η εξέλιξη φαίνεται στο αποτέλεσμα…
→ The progress is visible / shows in the result…

What does στο αποτέλεσμα mean, and what cases are used?

στο αποτέλεσμα = σε + το αποτέλεσμα

σε – in, at, on (preposition that governs the accusative)
το αποτέλεσμα – the result (neuter, accusative singular)

So στο αποτέλεσμα means “in the result” / “in the outcome”.

Case note:

After σε, Greek typically uses the accusative case, hence αποτέλεσμα is in the accusative.
The contraction σε + το → στο is very common and mandatory in normal writing and speech.

Why is κάθε μικρού ελέγχου in the genitive, and what does that structure mean?

κάθε μικρού ελέγχου is in the genitive because it depends on αποτέλεσμα:

το αποτέλεσμα (του) ελέγχου – the result of the test/check
Genitive expresses “of …” or possession/relationship.

Full structure:

στο αποτέλεσμα κάθε μικρού ελέγχου
= in the result of every small test

Breakdown:

κάθε – every, each (indeclinable)
μικρού – small (genitive, masculine singular; agrees with ελέγχου)
ελέγχου – of (the) test/check (genitive, masculine singular)

So we have:

αποτέλεσμα (result) + genitive noun (ελέγχου)
κάθε μικρού ελέγχου qualifies which test: “of every small test”.

How does μικρού agree with ελέγχου? Why that ending?

μικρού ελέγχου shows the usual adjective–noun agreement:

έλεγχος – test/check (masculine, nominative singular)
In genitive singular, it becomes ελέγχου.
The adjective μικρός must match gender, number, and case of the noun:

Case / Number	Masculine of μικρός
Nominative singular	μικρός
Genitive singular	μικρού

Since ελέγχου is masculine, genitive singular, the adjective takes the same form:

μικρού ελέγχου – of a small test
κάθε μικρού ελέγχου – of every small test

Why is κάθε not declined? Shouldn’t it change form?

κάθε is an indeclinable determiner:

It always stays κάθε, regardless of gender, number, or case.

Examples:

κάθε μέρα – every day
κάθε παιδί – every child
κάθε μικρού ελέγχου – of every small test
κάθε μικρή εξέταση – every small exam

The adjective and noun after κάθε still decline normally (μικρού ελέγχου, μικρή εξέταση, etc.), but κάθε itself never changes.

Is the word order fixed, or can I move parts of the sentence around?

Greek word order is relatively flexible, though there are preferences for clarity and emphasis.

Original:

Η εξέλιξη στα ελληνικά φαίνεται στο αποτέλεσμα κάθε μικρού ελέγχου.

Other possible orders (all grammatically OK, with slight emphasis changes):

Στο αποτέλεσμα κάθε μικρού ελέγχου φαίνεται η εξέλιξη στα ελληνικά.
→ Emphasis on “in the result of every small test”.
Η εξέλιξη φαίνεται στα ελληνικά στο αποτέλεσμα κάθε μικρού ελέγχου.
→ Less natural; risks sounding confusing.

The original order is very natural:

Subject (Η εξέλιξη στα ελληνικά)
Verb (φαίνεται)
Prepositional phrase giving more detail (στο αποτέλεσμα κάθε μικρού ελέγχου)

What does έλεγχος usually mean? Is it always “test”?

έλεγχος is quite broad in meaning:

check, control, inspection
test, exam, quiz
audit, verification

In this sentence, κάθε μικρού ελέγχου is best understood as:

every small test/check (like small quizzes or short checks of your knowledge)

Context decides whether it’s more like a quiz, an inspection, or a control. Here, in a language‑learning context, “test / quiz / check” fits best.

Could I say this sentence in a simpler or alternative way?

Yes, here are a few natural alternatives:

Η πρόοδός σου στα ελληνικά φαίνεται σε κάθε μικρό τεστ.
- Your progress in Greek is seen in every small test.
- Uses πρόοδος and τεστ, which may feel more familiar.
Η εξέλιξή σου στα ελληνικά φαίνεται σε κάθε μικρό τεστ.
- Same structure, but avoids the genitive phrase του ελέγχου.
Βλέπεις την πρόοδό σου στα ελληνικά στο αποτέλεσμα κάθε μικρού τεστ.
- You see your progress in Greek in the result of every small test.
- Uses βλέπεις (you see) instead of φαίνεται (is seen).

The original sentence is a bit more formal or “bookish” because of εξέλιξη and ελέγχου, but it’s perfectly natural Greek.

How do you pronounce the whole sentence?

A simple phonetic approximation (stress marked with ´ on the stressed syllable):

Η εξέλιξη στα ελληνικά φαίνεται στο αποτέλεσμα κάθε μικρού ελέγχου.
→ ee exÉ-lee-ksee sta e-lee-neeKÁ FÉ-ne-te sto a-po-TÉ-le-sma KÁ-the mee-KRÚ e-LÉ-nghou

More systematically (roughly, not strict IPA):

Η – ee
εξέλιξη – exÉ-lee-ksee
στα – sta
ελληνικά – e-lee-nee-KÁ
φαίνεται – FÉ-ne-te
στο – sto
αποτέλεσμα – a-po-TÉ-le-sma
κάθε – KÁ-the
μικρού – mee-KRÚ
ελέγχου – e-LÉ-nghou (the γχ is like “ng” in sing plus a hard “gh” sound)

This should help you connect the written form with how it’s actually spoken.