Learn Hardcore Greek: Νιώθω περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.

Νιώθω περήφανος… = I (a man) feel proud…
Νιώθω περήφανη… = I (a woman) feel proud…
Νιώθω περήφανο… = I feel proud… (neuter; could be used for a neuter noun, or sometimes by/for non‑binary people depending on context)

The subject εγώ is understood from the verb νιώθω (1st person singular), so the adjective περήφανος must match the speaker’s gender:

A male speaker: Νιώθω περήφανος…
A female speaker: Νιώθω περήφανη…

Why is there no εγώ ("I") in the sentence?

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

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

So εγώ νιώθω περήφανος… is grammatically correct, but εγώ is normally added only for emphasis or contrast:

Εγώ νιώθω περήφανος, όχι ντροπή.
I feel proud, not shame.

In neutral statements, it is more natural to say simply:

Νιώθω περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.

Why do we use για here? In English it’s "proud of", not "proud for".

Prepositions don’t always match 1:1 between languages.

In Greek, after περήφανος, you commonly use για:

Είμαι/νιώθω περήφανος για κάτι.
I am/feel proud of something.

So:

περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου = proud of my Greek

You might also see:

Είμαι περήφανος που μιλάω ελληνικά.
I’m proud that I speak Greek.

Here που introduces a clause, roughly like that in English.

Why is it τα ελληνικά and not something like η ελληνική?

In Greek, names of languages are usually neuter plural:

τα ελληνικά = Greek (language)
τα αγγλικά = English
τα γαλλικά = French
τα ισπανικά = Spanish

So τα ελληνικά literally means the Greek (things) but in practice it means Greek (as a language).

Using η ελληνική alone would sound incomplete; it needs a noun:

η ελληνική γλώσσα = the Greek language

Your sentence uses the short, everyday form: τα ελληνικά.

What is the role of μου in τα ελληνικά μου and why does it come after the noun?

μου is the unstressed possessive pronoun meaning my.

In Greek, unstressed possessive pronouns come after the noun phrase:

το βιβλίο μου = my book
τα ελληνικά μου = my Greek (my knowledge/ability in Greek)
ο φίλος μου = my friend

They’re clitics (they lean on the word before them for stress), so they never stand alone in speech and they don’t go in front of the noun the way my does in English.

Why is it τα ελληνικά (accusative) after για?

The preposition για in Modern Greek is normally followed by the accusative case.

Neuter plural definite article and adjective/noun:

Nominative: τα ελληνικά
Accusative: τα ελληνικά

In this particular form, nominative and accusative look the same, but grammatically, για τα ελληνικά is accusative because:

για + accusative is the standard pattern:
- για το βιβλίο (το βιβλίο = accusative)
- για τον φίλο μου (τον φίλο = accusative)
- για τα ελληνικά μου (τα ελληνικά = accusative)

Can I say Είμαι περήφανος instead of Νιώθω περήφανος? What’s the difference?

Both are correct but have a slightly different feel:

Είμαι περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.
I am proud of my Greek today.
→ Describes a state: I am (in general / at this moment) proud.
Νιώθω περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.
I feel proud of my Greek today.
→ Emphasizes the feeling/experience of pride right now.

In everyday speech, both are natural; νιώθω sounds a little more emotional or focused on your internal feeling.

Can I use υπερήφανος instead of περήφανος?

Yes, but there is a nuance.

περήφανος is more everyday and neutral.
υπερήφανος is a bit more formal or elevated, sometimes a bit stronger.

Both mean proud, and both can be used in this sentence:

Νιώθω περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.
Νιώθω υπερήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.

In casual speech, περήφανος is more common.

Could I say just Νιώθω περήφανος σήμερα and leave out για τα ελληνικά μου?

Yes, grammatically you can; then the sentence is more general:

Νιώθω περήφανος σήμερα.
I feel proud today. (Proud of something, but it’s not specified.)

Adding για τα ελληνικά μου specifies what you are proud of:

Νιώθω περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.
I feel proud of my Greek today.

You cannot just say Νιώθω περήφανος για σήμερα to mean the same thing; that would mean something like I feel proud for today, which is odd in Greek in this context.

Where can σήμερα go in the sentence? Is …σήμερα the only correct position?

Greek word order is relatively flexible, especially for adverbs like σήμερα.

All of these are possible and natural, with slight differences in emphasis:

Σήμερα νιώθω περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου.
Today I feel proud of my Greek. (Strong focus on today.)
Νιώθω σήμερα περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου.
I feel today proud of my Greek. (Still highlighting today, but a bit less.)
Νιώθω περήφανος σήμερα για τα ελληνικά μου.
Νιώθω περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα. (your version)

Your original one is very natural: it lets the object (για τα ελληνικά μου) and σήμερα flow smoothly at the end.

What’s the difference between νιώθω and αισθάνομαι?

In this context they are very close:

Νιώθω περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.
Αισθάνομαι περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.

Both mean I feel proud of my Greek today.

Nuance:

νιώθω is more common and informal.
αισθάνομαι is slightly more formal or careful, sometimes used more in writing or polite speech.

In everyday conversation, νιώθω is typically more frequent.

How would I say "I felt proud of my Greek today" (past tense), not "I feel proud"?

You would change νιώθω (present) to its aorist past form ένιωσα:

Ένιωσα περήφανος για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.
I felt proud of my Greek today.

For a female speaker:

Ένιωσα περήφανη για τα ελληνικά μου σήμερα.

So:

Νιώθω περήφανος… = I feel proud… (now / generally)
Ένιωσα περήφανος… = I felt proud… (at some point, completed event)