Learn Hardcore Greek: Όταν οδηγώ, προτιμώ να ακούω ραδιόφωνο αντί να κοιτάω το κινητό. - When I drive, I prefer to listen to the radio instead of looking at my phone.

Why is όταν followed by οδηγώ (present tense)? In English I might say “when I’m driving” or “when I drive”—how does this work in Greek?

In Greek, όταν + present tense is the normal way to talk about repeated or general situations in the present, and it covers both:

“when I drive (generally)” and
“when I’m driving (at any given time)”

So:

Όταν οδηγώ… = Whenever I drive / When I’m driving…

You don’t need a special “-ing” form in Greek; the simple present οδηγώ already includes this idea of “while doing” or “whenever I do” in the right context.

If you wanted to talk about a specific future situation, you could use a future form:

Όταν θα οδηγάω, θα σε πάρω τηλέφωνο.
When I’m driving (then), I’ll call you.

But for general habits and preferences, όταν + present is standard.

What’s the difference between οδηγώ and οδηγάω? Are both correct?