Όταν γυρίζω από το πανεπιστήμιο, χαλαρώνω στο σαλόνι.

Όταν means when. In this sentence, it introduces a repeated or habitual action:

• Όταν γυρίζω από το πανεπιστήμιο, χαλαρώνω στο σαλόνι.
• When I come back from university, I relax in the living room.

Greek often uses the present tense after όταν when talking about things that happen regularly or generally, just like English can use the present in sentences such as When I get home, I eat.

If you were talking about a specific past event, the tense would change:

• Όταν γύρισα από το πανεπιστήμιο, χαλάρωσα στο σαλόνι.
• When I came back from the university, I relaxed in the living room.

Γυρίζω can mean several related things depending on context:

• I return / I come back
• I turn
• sometimes even I film / I shoot in other contexts

Here, because of από το πανεπιστήμιο (from the university), it clearly means I come back / I return.

So:

• γυρίζω από το πανεπιστήμιο = I come back from the university

A learner may also encounter επιστρέφω, which also means I return.
Both can work, but γυρίζω often sounds a bit more everyday and conversational in this kind of sentence.

Greek often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

Here:

• γυρίζω = I return / I come back
• χαλαρώνω = I relax

The ending -ω tells you the subject is I.

So Greek usually says:

• γυρίζω rather than εγώ γυρίζω
• χαλαρώνω rather than εγώ χαλαρώνω

You can add εγώ if you want emphasis:

• Εγώ χαλαρώνω στο σαλόνι, όχι στο υπνοδωμάτιο.
• I relax in the living room, not in the bedroom.

In Greek, the definite article is used more often than in English.

So Greek naturally says:

• από το πανεπιστήμιο

Even if natural English might sometimes say:

• from university
• from the university

Greek generally prefers the article here.

Also, από means from, and it is followed by the accusative case.
For the neuter noun πανεπιστήμιο, the singular accusative form is the same as the nominative form:

• το πανεπιστήμιο

Πανεπιστήμιο is a neuter noun, so its singular definite article is το.

• το πανεπιστήμιο = the university

Because it is neuter singular, you also get:

• από το πανεπιστήμιο = from the university

This is useful to remember:

• masculine: ο / τον
• feminine: η / την
• neuter: το

After από, Greek uses the accusative.

So:

• από το πανεπιστήμιο

The noun πανεπιστήμιο happens to look the same in the nominative and accusative singular because it is neuter:

• nominative: το πανεπιστήμιο
• accusative: το πανεπιστήμιο

So the form does not change, but grammatically it is still accusative after από.

Yes, χαλαρώνω here means I relax, I unwind, or I chill out, depending on the tone.

It comes from the idea of becoming less tense or less tight. In everyday Greek, it is very common.

Examples:

• Χαλαρώνω στο σπίτι. = I relax at home.
• Θέλω να χαλαρώσω λίγο. = I want to relax a little.

So in your sentence, χαλαρώνω στο σαλόνι means I relax in the living room.

Στο is a contraction of:

• σε + το = στο

So:

• στο σαλόνι = in the living room / at the living room

This contraction is standard and extremely common in Greek.

Other similar forms:

• στον = σε + τον
• στη or στην = σε + τη(ν)

Yes, σε is very flexible. It can mean:

• in
• at
• to
• sometimes on, depending on context

In this sentence:

• στο σαλόνι means in the living room

Greek often uses σε where English chooses among several different prepositions.

Examples:

• Πάω στο σπίτι. = I’m going home / to the house.
• Είμαι στο σπίτι. = I’m at home / in the house.

So you should not expect a one-to-one match with English prepositions.

After σε (and therefore after στο), Greek normally uses the accusative.

So:

• στο σαλόνι

Again, σαλόνι is a neuter noun, and its nominative and accusative singular forms are the same:

• το σαλόνι
• στο σαλόνι

So the word form does not visibly change, but the case is accusative.

Both verbs are in the present tense because the sentence describes a habitual action, something that happens regularly.

• γυρίζω = I come back
• χαλαρώνω = I relax

This is like English:

• When I come back from university, I relax in the living room.

It does not mean the speaker is necessarily doing it right now. It describes what usually happens.

If the speaker wanted to describe a single completed past event, Greek would switch to past forms:

• Όταν γύρισα από το πανεπιστήμιο, χαλάρωσα στο σαλόνι.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English, although some orders sound more natural than others.

The given sentence is very natural:

• Όταν γυρίζω από το πανεπιστήμιο, χαλαρώνω στο σαλόνι.

You could also say:

• Χαλαρώνω στο σαλόνι όταν γυρίζω από το πανεπιστήμιο.

This still means the same thing, though the focus may feel a little different. Greek often moves parts around for emphasis, rhythm, or style.

The comma separates the when-clause from the main clause:

• Όταν γυρίζω από το πανεπιστήμιο,
• χαλαρώνω στο σαλόνι.

This is similar to English when a time clause comes first:

• When I come back from university, I relax in the living room.

If the order is reversed, Greek may omit the comma more easily:

• Χαλαρώνω στο σαλόνι όταν γυρίζω από το πανεπιστήμιο.

The written accent marks show which syllable is stressed.

• Όταν → stress on the first syllable: O-tan
• γυρίζω → stress on ρί: yi-RI-zo
• πανεπιστήμιο → stress on στή: pa-ne-pi-STI-mi-o
• χαλαρώνω → stress on ρώ: ha-la-RO-no
• σαλόνι → stress on λό: sa-LO-ni

Stress matters in Greek, so it is good to pay attention to the accent marks from the beginning.

Usually, yes. Το σαλόνι is the normal word for living room or sitting room.

Depending on the house and the speaker, it can suggest:

• the living room in general
• the more formal sitting room area

Another word you may also hear is καθιστικό, which also means living room / sitting room.
But σαλόνι is very common and natural in everyday speech.

Yes, you could say:

• Όταν επιστρέφω από το πανεπιστήμιο, χαλαρώνω στο σαλόνι.

This is grammatically correct and natural.
The difference is mostly one of style and feel:

• γυρίζω = very common, everyday, conversational
• επιστρέφω = also common, but sometimes a bit more formal or more explicitly return

So both are good, but γυρίζω fits very naturally in casual daily speech.