Learn Hardcore Japanese: ryourikyousitu de naratta pasuta ya piza wo kazoku ni tukutte kureru node, totemo tasukarimasu. - She makes the pasta and pizza she learned at the cooking class for the family, so it helps a lot.

In 料理教室で習ったパスタやピザを家族に作ってくれるので、とても助かります。, the implied subject is something like “my daughter,” “my son,” “my wife,” etc., depending on the context in the conversation.

So a natural English translation is:

“Because (my child / my wife / he / she) makes the pasta and pizza (they) learned in cooking class for the family, it really helps.”

The important point:

作ってくれる = “(someone) makes (it for me/us)”
The “someone” is understood from earlier context, so it’s left out.

What does で do in 料理教室で習った? Could I use に instead?

Here で marks the place where an action happens:

料理教室で習った = “(someone) learned (it) at cooking class.”

で is used for:

Places where actions take place: 学校で勉強する (study at school), 公園で遊ぶ (play in the park)

に with places usually indicates:

Destination / arrival: 学校に行く (go to school)
Location of existence: 学校に先生がいる (a teacher is at school)

So 料理教室に習った would be wrong; you need で to show “learned at the cooking class.”

How does 習った work here? Why is it past tense if this sounds like a general habit?

習った is the past form of 習う (“to learn, to take lessons in”).

Grammatically, it’s part of a relative clause modifying パスタやピザ:

料理教室で習ったパスタやピザ
= “the pasta and pizza that (someone) learned (how to make) in cooking class”

Inside that mini-sentence (relative clause), the learning happened before the current habit of cooking, so it’s in the past:

First: they learned the recipes in class (習った)
Now: they make that pasta/pizza for the family (作ってくれる)

So the overall meaning is present/habitual, but the learning event itself is in the past, hence 習った.

Why is や used between パスタ and ピザ, instead of と?

Both や and と can mean “and,” but:

AとB = A and B (a more closed, complete list)
AやB = A and B and things like that (an open-ended list)

So:

パスタとピザ = pasta and pizza (just those two)
パスタやピザ = pasta, pizza, and similar dishes

In this sentence, パスタやピザ implies:

Things like pasta and pizza that were learned in cooking class—maybe other Western dishes too—without listing every single one.

Can you break down 料理教室で習ったパスタやピザを? How is this different from English word order?

Breakdown:

料理教室 – cooking class
で – at (location of the action)
習った – learned (past form of 習う)
パスタやピザ – pasta and pizza (and similar dishes)
を – object marker

Together:

料理教室で習ったパスタやピザを
= “the pasta and pizza (and such) that (someone) learned in cooking class (as the object of the verb)”

This is a relative clause in Japanese:

[料理教室で習った] パスタやピザ
= [learned in cooking class] pasta and pizza

Key difference from English:

In English, the modifier comes after the noun:
“pasta and pizza that (they) learned in cooking class”
In Japanese, the entire clause comes before the noun it modifies.

So Japanese packs it like:
[at cooking class / learned] pasta and pizza
and then continues: …を家族に作ってくれる…

What is the role of に in 家族に作ってくれる? Why not 家族を or 家族のために?

Here に marks the recipient / beneficiary of the action:

家族に作ってくれる = “(someone) cooks (it) for the family.”

Patterns:

Xを作る – make X (direct object)
YにXを作る – make X for Y (Y is the recipient/beneficiary)

So in full:

パスタやピザを家族に作ってくれる
= “(someone) makes pasta and pizza for the family.”

Why not the others?

家族を作る – literally “make/create a family” (totally different meaning)
家族のために作る – also means “make (it) for the family,”
but のために emphasises “for the sake of / for the benefit of.”
It’s fine, but 家族に作ってくれる is more neutral and common-sounding here.

So 家族に is the normal way to mark “for my family” as the recipient of what’s being made.

What exactly does 作ってくれる mean? How is it different from just 作る?

作ってくれる is 作る in て-form + くれる.

作る – to make
作ってくれる – “(someone) makes (it) for me / for us” (benefit to the speaker)

くれる is a benefactive verb:

It means “to do something for (me / us / someone in my in-group).”
It adds a nuance of kindness and benefit from the speaker’s point of view.

So:

パスタを作る – (someone) makes pasta. (just a fact)
パスタを作ってくれる – (someone) kindly makes pasta for me/us.
There’s an implied feeling of gratitude.

In this sentence, 作ってくれるので、とても助かります。 strongly suggests:

The speaker appreciates that this person cooks for the family; it’s helpful and considerate.

Could this also be 作ってもらう or 作ってあげる? What’s the difference?

All three are “benefactive” patterns, but the perspective changes:

作ってくれる
- Someone does it for me/us (my side).
- Focus: their kindness toward the speaker’s side.
- Example here:
  パスタやピザを家族に作ってくれる
  → someone (e.g. my daughter) makes pasta/pizza for our family, which includes the speaker.
作ってもらう
- Literally “to receive the favor of someone making (it).”
- Focus: what I receive.
- If the speaker centers themselves:
  （私は）パスタやピザを作ってもらう
  → I have (someone) make pasta/pizza for me.
- The current sentence is from the viewpoint of appreciating the person’s regular kindness, so くれる is more natural.
作ってあげる
- Speaker (or speaker’s side) does something for someone else.
- Focus: the speaker’s kindness toward them.
- パスタやピザを家族に作ってあげる
  → I make pasta/pizza for my family (as a favor to them).

In the given sentence, the idea is “they kindly make it for us,” so 作ってくれる is the most appropriate.

What nuance does ので have here compared with から?

Both ので and から can mean “because / so,” but:

から – more direct; often a straightforward reason (“because”)
ので – softer, more explanatory; often sounds a bit more polite or gentle

In 作ってくれるので、とても助かります。:

…ので can be understood as:
- “Since they make it for us, it really helps,”
- with a tone of calmly explaining the reason.

You could say:

作ってくれるから、とても助かります。

This is not wrong; it just feels a bit more casual/direct.
ので here fits well with the slightly polite phrase 助かります and gives a mild, explanatory feel.

What does とても助かります really mean? Is it literally “(I) am helped a lot”?

Literally, yes, 助かります comes from 助かる (“to be saved / to be helped / to be rescued”).

In natural English here, though, it means something like:

“It really helps.”
“I really appreciate it.”
“That’s a big help.”

Usage notes:

Often used to express gratitude and relief when someone’s action reduces your burden:
- 早く来てくれて助かりました。
  → “You coming early really helped (me).”
- 手伝ってくれると助かります。
  → “It would really help if you could help me.”

So とても助かります in this sentence is not dramatic (“you saved my life”) but a polite way of saying their cooking is very helpful and appreciated.

Why is it 助かります and not 助かっています or 助かりました?

All three are possible, but they have different nuances of time/aspect:

助かります (present polite)
- General, habitual, or near-future fact:
- “(It) is (really) helpful / It really helps.”
- Works well for an ongoing situation:
  - They regularly cook for the family → 助かります describes a general truth.
助かっています (progressive)
- Emphasises a current continuing state:
- “(I) am being helped (by it)” / “it is helping (me) right now.”
- Could sound a bit heavier or more focused on the ongoing state.
助かりました (past)
- A completed event in the past:
- “That really helped (me)” / “I was helped (by that).”
- Used when referring to a specific instance.

In the given sentence, the idea is that this is an ongoing, generally helpful habit, so the neutral present 助かります is the most natural:

…作ってくれるので、とても助かります。
→ “Since they make it for the family, it’s a big help (to us).”