Το διάβασμα με κουράζει λίγο, αλλά με βοηθάει πολύ.

Because διάβασμα is a noun, not a finite verb. In this sentence, Greek is talking about reading / studying as an activity.

So:

• διαβάζω = I read / I study
• το διάβασμα = reading / studying as a thing or activity

Greek often uses this kind of noun where English might also use an -ing form:

• Το διάβασμα με κουράζει. = Reading / Studying tires me.

So the structure is not I read and it tires me, but rather Reading as an activity tires me.

Because διάβασμα is a noun, and in Greek nouns very often appear with the definite article.

Here το διάβασμα means something like:

• reading
• the reading activity
• studying

Even when English would often say just reading, Greek commonly says το διάβασμα.

Also, διάβασμα is a neuter singular noun, so it takes το:

• το διάβασμα

It can mean both, depending on context.

Very often in everyday Greek:

• διαβάζω and διάβασμα can refer to studying, especially schoolwork
• but they can also mean reading

So this sentence could sound like:

• Reading tires me a little, but helps me a lot
• or Studying tires me a little, but helps me a lot

If this were said by a student, many Greeks would naturally understand studying.

Because both verbs have me as their object.

The sentence breaks down like this:

• Το διάβασμα με κουράζει λίγο = Reading tires me a little
• αλλά με βοηθάει πολύ = but it helps me a lot

So με appears once with κουράζει and once with βοηθάει because both actions affect me.

• με = me

In Greek, weak object pronouns like με, σε, τον, τη, το, μας usually come before the finite verb.

So Greek says:

• με κουράζει
• με βοηθάει

not usually:

• κουράζει με
• βοηθάει με

This is a very common Greek word order pattern with object pronouns.

Because the subject is το διάβασμα, which is third person singular.

Literal structure:

• Το διάβασμα = subject
• με = object
• κουράζει = tires

So Greek is saying:

• Reading tires me

not

• I tire

That is why the verb is in the 3rd person singular form:

• κουράζω = I tire
• κουράζει = it tires

The same logic applies to βοηθάει:

• βοηθάω / βοηθώ = I help
• βοηθάει = it helps

Here they are adverbs:

• λίγο = a little
• πολύ = a lot / very much

They modify the verbs:

• με κουράζει λίγο = it tires me a little
• με βοηθάει πολύ = it helps me a lot

So they are not describing nouns here; they are describing the degree of the effect.

That placement is very natural in Greek.

Greek often places adverbs like these after the verb phrase:

• με κουράζει λίγο
• με βοηθάει πολύ

You may sometimes see other word orders for emphasis, but the version in the sentence is completely normal and neutral.

Yes. αλλά is the standard Greek word for but.

So:

• ..., αλλά ... = ..., but ...

It connects two contrasting ideas:

• It tires me a little
• but
• it helps me a lot

There are other words such as όμως, but αλλά is the straightforward basic conjunction here.

Yes, both can be used.

For this verb, you will often see:

• βοηθάει
• βοηθά

Both mean he/she/it helps.

In everyday Greek, βοηθάει is very common and often feels a bit more explicit or conversational in form. You should recognize both.

So these are both possible:

• με βοηθάει πολύ
• με βοηθά πολύ

Same meaning.

Yes, it is in the present tense.

It expresses a general truth / usual effect, not something happening only at this exact second.

So the meaning is like:

• Reading/studying tires me a little, but helps me a lot
• In general, reading/studying has this effect on me

This is a very common use of the Greek present tense.

Normally, no. Greek usually repeats the object pronoun if it belongs to the second verb too.

So the natural sentence is:

• Το διάβασμα με κουράζει λίγο, αλλά με βοηθάει πολύ.

Repeating με makes it clear that both verbs take the same object.

Greek does not usually omit it here the way English sometimes avoids repetition.

You could say εμένα, but it changes the feel.

• με = weak, normal unstressed object pronoun
• εμένα = strong/emphatic form, like me or as for me

Normal neutral sentence:

• Το διάβασμα με κουράζει λίγο...

More emphatic:

• Το διάβασμα εμένα με κουράζει λίγο...

That version sounds like:

• Reading tires me a little, at least me...
• or As for me, reading tires me a little...

So in your sentence, plain με is the natural choice.

A close literal breakdown is:

• Το διάβασμα = the reading / studying
• με = me
• κουράζει = tires
• λίγο = a little
• αλλά = but
• με = me
• βοηθάει = helps
• πολύ = a lot

So literally:

• The reading/studying tires me a little, but helps me a lot.

That is why the sentence feels so natural in Greek even though English may prefer a gerund like Reading or Studying.