Τον Μάιο η αδερφή μου προτιμάει μια φούστα και μια κοντομάνικη μπλούζα όταν έχει ήλιο.

In Greek, names of months are often used with the accusative + article to express time:

• Τον Μάιο = in May
• Τον Ιούνιο = in June
• Τον χειμώνα = in the winter

So τον here is not literally translating English in. It is just the normal Greek way to say in May in this kind of sentence.

Because Greek often uses the accusative for expressions of time, especially with months, days, and seasons.

Here:

• ο Μάιος = nominative, the basic dictionary form
• τον Μάιο = accusative, used here for time

So the sentence uses the form Greek expects after this time expression.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The sentence could also be arranged differently, for example:

• Η αδερφή μου προτιμάει μια φούστα και μια κοντομάνικη μπλούζα τον Μάιο όταν έχει ήλιο.

Starting with Τον Μάιο puts the time frame first, which is very natural in Greek. It is a bit like saying:

• In May, my sister prefers...

So the fronted time phrase gives context right away.

In Greek, possessive words like μου usually come after the noun:

• η αδερφή μου = my sister
• το σπίτι μου = my house
• οι φίλοι μου = my friends

This is the normal pattern. Greek does not usually place μου before the noun the way English uses my.

Yes. Both αδερφή and αδελφή mean sister.

• αδερφή is very common in everyday Modern Greek
• αδελφή is also correct and may sound a bit more formal or conservative in some contexts

So η αδερφή μου is completely natural.

Both are used in Modern Greek.

• προτιμάει
• προτιμά

They both mean he/she prefers.

The longer form -άει is very common in speech and informal writing. The shorter form is also standard. So this sentence could also be:

• Η αδερφή μου προτιμά μια φούστα...

Both are fine.

Greek often repeats the indefinite article when talking about two separate items:

• μια φούστα και μια κοντομάνικη μπλούζα

This clearly means a skirt and a short-sleeved blouse.

You will often see Greek repeat the article more than English does. It helps mark each noun clearly. If you left out the second μια, the sentence might still be understandable in some contexts, but repeating it is very natural and standard.

Because both nouns are feminine:

• η φούστα = skirt
• η μπλούζα = blouse

The indefinite article must agree with the noun’s gender:

• ένας = masculine
• μια / μία = feminine
• ένα = neuter

So:

• μια φούστα
• μια μπλούζα

are the correct forms.

Κοντομάνικη means short-sleeved. It is an adjective, so it must agree with μπλούζα in gender, number, and case.

Since μπλούζα is:

• feminine
• singular
• accusative here

the adjective is also feminine singular accusative:

• μια κοντομάνικη μπλούζα

This is the same basic agreement pattern you see throughout Greek.

They actually are in the accusative, but for many feminine nouns like these, the nominative and accusative singular look the same.

For example:

• nominative: η φούστα

• accusative: τη φούστα

• nominative: η μπλούζα
• accusative: τη μπλούζα

So after προτιμάει, they are objects in the accusative, but their noun forms do not visibly change. The article would show the case more clearly if it were definite:

• προτιμάει τη φούστα

With μια, the form also stays the same.

This is a very common Greek expression.

• έχει ήλιο literally = it has sun
• natural meaning = it is sunny / there is sunshine

So:

• όταν έχει ήλιο = when it is sunny

Greek often uses weather expressions differently from English. Another common expression is:

• κάνει κρύο = it is cold
• κάνει ζέστη = it is hot

So even if the wording feels unusual from an English point of view, έχει ήλιο is idiomatic Greek.

In a sentence like this, it usually has a general/habitual sense:

• when/whenever it is sunny

The whole sentence sounds like a general preference, not a one-time event. Greek often uses the present tense this way to describe habits or repeated situations.

Yes, Greek speakers may also say όταν κάνει ήλιο, and it can mean something very similar.

However, έχει ήλιο is especially common for it’s sunny / there’s sunshine. So the version in your sentence is very natural.

Yes. Greek often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person and number.

• προτιμάει = he/she/it prefers
• the subject is then made clear by η αδερφή μου

So Greek does not need an extra she here. In fact, adding the pronoun would usually only be done for emphasis or contrast.

Not exactly, but it can come close depending on context.

• προτιμάει literally means prefers
• so the sentence means that she prefers those clothes in that situation

It does not directly mean wears, but in context it implies what she tends to choose to wear.

If you wanted to say she wears, you would normally use φοράει:

• Η αδερφή μου φοράει μια φούστα... = My sister wears a skirt...

So προτιμάει focuses on preference, not just the action of wearing.