Βάζω λίγο πιπέρι στη σαλάτα μου.

Βάζω is the 1st person singular present form of βάζω, so it means I put, I am putting, or in this context often I add.

Greek present tense often covers both:

• I put a little pepper in my salad
• I’m putting a little pepper in my salad

The exact English translation depends on context.

Greek often uses βάζω very naturally where English uses put or add.

So:

• Βάζω λίγο πιπέρι... = literally I put a little pepper...
• but idiomatically in English: I add a little pepper...

This is a very normal Greek way to say it.

Λίγο agrees with πιπέρι, which is a neuter singular noun.

So you get:

• λίγος for masculine nouns
• λίγη for feminine nouns
• λίγο for neuter nouns

Because πιπέρι is neuter, the correct form is λίγο.

Examples:

• λίγος καφές would not be correct, because καφές is masculine and usually you would say λίγος καφές
• λίγη ζάχαρη because ζάχαρη is feminine
• λίγο νερό because νερό is neuter

So λίγο πιπέρι means a little pepper.

Because πιπέρι here is being used as an indefinite mass noun, like English pepper in I add a little pepper.

Greek often leaves out the article in this kind of phrase:

• λίγο πιπέρι = a little pepper
• λίγο νερό = a little water
• λίγη ζάχαρη = a little sugar

If you said το πιπέρι, that would mean the pepper, referring to some specific pepper already known from the context.

Στη is the contracted form of:

• σε
  • τη(ν) → στη(ν)

Here it means something like in, into, or to, depending on how we translate it naturally into English.

So:

• στη σαλάτα μου = literally in/to my salad
• natural English: in my salad or to my salad

With food, Greek often uses σε where English might prefer to.

Both are related to the same form: σε + την.

In Modern Greek, the final -ν of την is often:

• kept before vowels and certain consonants
• dropped before many other consonants

Since σαλάτα begins with σ, many speakers write and say στη σαλάτα.

You may also see στην σαλάτα in some contexts or styles, but στη σαλάτα is very common and natural.

Because after the preposition σε, the noun goes in the accusative case.

The dictionary form is:

• η σαλάτα = the salad (nominative)

After σε, it becomes:

• τη(ν) σαλάτα = the salad (accusative)

So:

• στη σαλάτα = in/to the salad

This is why the article is not η, but τη inside στη.

In Greek, possessive words like μου (my) usually come after the noun.

So:

• η σαλάτα μου = my salad
• literally: the salad my

This is completely normal Greek word order.

Other examples:

• το σπίτι μου = my house
• ο φίλος μου = my friend

If you are an English speaker, this may feel reversed at first, but it is one of the most common Greek patterns.

It is a weak possessive form, historically related to the pronoun me/of me, but in sentences like this it functions like my.

So in practice, for a learner, it is easiest to understand:

• μου = my
• σου = your
• του / της = his / her
• μας = our
• σας = your
• τους = their

Example:

• η σαλάτα μου = my salad
• η σαλάτα σου = your salad

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The neutral order here is:

• Βάζω λίγο πιπέρι στη σαλάτα μου.

But Greek could move things around for emphasis, for example:

• Στη σαλάτα μου βάζω λίγο πιπέρι.
• Λίγο πιπέρι βάζω στη σαλάτα μου.

These all still mean roughly the same thing, but the emphasis changes.

The version you were given is the most straightforward and neutral one.

A rough pronunciation is:

VA-zo LEE-go pee-PE-ri sti sa-LA-ta moo

A more Greek-like approximation:

• Βάζω = VA-zo
• λίγο = LEE-gho or LEE-yo depending on speech style
• πιπέρι = pee-PE-ri
• στη = stee
• σαλάτα = sa-LA-ta
• μου = moo

The stress falls on:

• ΒΆζω
• ΛΊγο
• πιΠΈρι
• σαΛΆτα

It can mean either one.

Greek present tense can express:

• something happening now: I’m putting a little pepper in my salad
• a habit or usual action: I put a little pepper in my salad

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

So if someone says it while eating, it probably means:

• I’m adding a little pepper to my salad

But if they are talking about their food preferences in general, it could mean:

• I usually put a little pepper in my salad