Learn Hardcore Greek: Στο ομαδικό μάθημα νιώθω ότι η στήριξη της τάξης κάνει την εξάσκηση πιο ευχάριστη. - In the group class I feel that the support of the class makes the practice more pleasant.

You wouldn’t normally say just σε ομαδικό μάθημα here, because you’re talking about a specific, known class (the one you attend), so Greek prefers the definite article: στο ομαδικό μάθημα = “in the (particular) group lesson.”

Why is it ομαδικό μάθημα and not μάθημα ομαδικό? Does the order matter?

In Greek, the normal position of an adjective is before the noun:

ομαδικό μάθημα = group lesson
μεγάλο σπίτι = big house

You can put an adjective after the noun (μάθημα ομαδικό), but that sounds marked or poetic, or like you are contrasting it with another kind of lesson. The neutral, everyday version is ομαδικό μάθημα.

What’s the nuance of νιώθω here? How is it different from αισθάνομαι?

Both νιώθω and αισθάνομαι mean “I feel” and can often be used interchangeably.

νιώθω is more common in everyday speech, shorter and “lighter.”
αισθάνομαι can sound a bit more formal or introspective, but is also normal.

In this sentence, νιώθω ότι… = “I feel that…” in a very natural, conversational way.
You could also say Αισθάνομαι ότι η στήριξη… without changing the meaning much.

Why is there no “I” (εγώ) in νιώθω ότι…? How do we know it’s “I feel”?

Greek usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person:

νιώθω = I feel
νιώθεις = you feel
νιώθει = he/she/it feels

So (εγώ) νιώθω → the εγώ is understood from -ω.
You only add εγώ for emphasis or contrast, e.g. Εγώ νιώθω έτσι, εσύ; = I feel this way, do you?

What does ότι do here, and how is it different from πως?

Here ότι is a conjunction meaning “that” (introducing a clause):

νιώθω ότι η στήριξη… = I feel that the support…

You can also use πως in most modern spoken contexts with the same meaning:

νιώθω πως η στήριξη…

Subtle points:

ότι is a bit more neutral/standard in writing.
πως can sound a bit more conversational.

Both are correct here. (Note: ό,τι with a comma is a different word meaning “whatever,” but that’s not what we have here.)

How should I understand η στήριξη της τάξης? Is it “support of the class” or “support from the class”?

Grammatically, της τάξης is a genitive, so literally “the support of the class.”

But in English we’d usually say “the class’s support” or “the support from the class.”

So η στήριξη της τάξης means:

the support that comes from the class (your classmates / the group),
the way the class as a group supports you.

η τάξη in this context means the group of students, not the physical room.

Why της τάξης and not από την τάξη for “from the class”?

Both are possible, but they have slightly different flavors:

η στήριξη της τάξης
- Genitive: very compact, sounds natural and idiomatic.
- Stresses the relationship: “the class’s support.”
η στήριξη από την τάξη
- Explicit από = from (source).
- Feels a bit more literal or explanatory: “support from the class.”

In a sentence like this, the genitive της τάξης is smoother and more typical.

Why is it κάνει την εξάσκηση πιο ευχάριστη? How does κάνει mean “makes” here?

The verb κάνω basically means “do” / “make.” In structures like this, it corresponds exactly to English “make (something) + adjective”:

κάνει τα πράγματα εύκολα = makes things easy
κάνει τον ήχο πιο δυνατό = makes the sound louder

Here:

η στήριξη της τάξης κάνει την εξάσκηση πιο ευχάριστη
= the support of the class makes the practice more pleasant.

So the pattern is:

[Subject] + κάνει + [object] + [adjective / comparative]

What is η εξάσκηση exactly? How is it different from άσκηση or πρακτική?

All relate to “practice,” but with different nuances:

η εξάσκηση
- General practice / exercising a skill.
- Very natural here: η εξάσκηση = practice (e.g. language practice).
η άσκηση
- A specific exercise (a task in a book, a drill).
- Or physical/law “exercise” depending on context.
- κάνω ασκήσεις = I do exercises.
η πρακτική
- Often “internship” / practical training (κάνω πρακτική)
- Or “practice” in the abstract sense (medical practice, business practice).

So η εξάσκηση is the best word for “the act of practicing” something like language.

How does πιο ευχάριστη work? Is it like “more pleasant” or “pleasanter”? Why use πιο?

πιο forms the comparative in modern Greek:

ευχάριστη = pleasant (feminine singular)
πιο ευχάριστη = more pleasant

Greek usually prefers πιο + adjective rather than older suffix forms. So:

πιο εύκολος = easier
πιο ενδιαφέρον = more interesting

Here, πιο ευχάριστη agrees with η εξάσκηση (feminine singular):

η εξάσκηση → την εξάσκηση (object) → πιο ευχάριστη (fem. sing. adj.)

Why is it την εξάσκηση and not just εξάσκηση without the article?

Greek uses the definite article much more than English:

With abstract nouns, when you mean “the practice in this situation / in general for me,” Greek often uses η/την.
την εξάσκηση here means “the practice (I do in this class / my practice time)”, not just practice in some vague, abstract sense.

If you dropped the article (κάνει εξάσκηση πιο ευχάριστη), it would sound unnatural or ungrammatical in this sentence.

Why is ευχάριστη feminine? How do I know the gender agreement here?

Adjectives in Greek agree with the noun’s gender, number, and case.

η εξάσκηση is feminine singular.
As a direct object: την εξάσκηση (accusative feminine singular).
So the adjective must also be feminine singular accusative: ευχάριστη.

Hence:
κάνει (τι;) την εξάσκηση (πώς;) πιο ευχάριστη.

Is there anything special about the word order η στήριξη της τάξης κάνει την εξάσκηση πιο ευχάριστη?

This is the most neutral word order in Greek: Subject – Verb – Object – Complement:

η στήριξη της τάξης = subject
κάνει = verb
την εξάσκηση = object
πιο ευχάριστη = complement (what it becomes)

You could move things for emphasis, e.g.:

Την εξάσκηση κάνει πιο ευχάριστη η στήριξη της τάξης.

This would emphasize την εξάσκηση, but the original sentence is the straightforward, unmarked order.

Does the present tense νιώθω mean “I feel” or “I am feeling”? Why is the present used?

In Greek, the present tense usually covers both English:

I feel and I am feeling.

So νιώθω can be understood as:

“I feel (in general, in this situation)”
“I am feeling (right now when I’m in the class)”

Context decides the nuance; the same form works for both. Here it’s a general, habitual feeling in the group class.