Όταν δεν βάζω αντηλιακό, καίγομαι εύκολα και το δέρμα μου πονάει.

Because the sentence describes a general, repeated situation, not one specific event.

• Όταν δεν βάζω αντηλιακό = When/Whenever I don’t put on sunscreen
• καίγομαι εύκολα = I burn easily
• το δέρμα μου πονάει = my skin hurts

In Greek, the present tense is often used for habits, repeated actions, and general truths, just like in English:

• Όταν τρώω πολύ, νυστάζω. = When I eat a lot, I get sleepy.

So here the meaning is basically Whenever I don’t wear/apply sunscreen, I get sunburned easily and my skin hurts.

It can be understood as both, but in this sentence it is best understood as whenever.

Όταν introduces a time clause:

• Όταν βρέχει, μένω σπίτι. = When/Whenever it rains, I stay home.

Because the whole sentence is in the present tense and describes a repeated pattern, Όταν has the sense of whenever rather than one single future or past moment.

Δεν is the standard word used to negate verbs in Greek in many common tenses, including the present.

• βάζω = I put / I apply
• δεν βάζω = I do not put / I do not apply

So:

• Δεν βάζω αντηλιακό. = I don’t put on sunscreen.

A useful pattern:

• βάζω = I put
• δεν βάζω = I don’t put
• τρώω = I eat
• δεν τρώω = I don’t eat

In Greek, βάζω is very commonly used for putting on / applying many products to the body.

So Greek says:

• βάζω αντηλιακό = put on / apply sunscreen
• βάζω κρέμα = put on cream
• βάζω άρωμα = put on perfume
• βάζω κραγιόν = put on lipstick

This is very natural Greek. Even though English often prefers apply for sunscreen, Greek often uses the more everyday verb βάζω.

Here αντηλιακό is being used as a noun, and it means sunscreen / sunblock.

Grammatically, it is a neuter singular form. Historically it comes from an adjective meaning anti-sun / sun-protective, but in everyday Greek it commonly functions as a noun by itself.

So:

• αντηλιακό = sunscreen

You may also hear fuller expressions such as:

• αντηλιακή κρέμα = sunscreen cream / sun cream

But in everyday speech, just αντηλιακό is extremely common.

Because Greek often omits the article with substances, materials, or general-use items when talking about them in a broad, non-specific way.

So:

• βάζω αντηλιακό = I put on sunscreen

This sounds like I use sunscreen in general, not the sunscreen or a particular sunscreen.

You could sometimes hear an article in a more specific context, but here the article-less version is the most natural.

Because καίγομαι means I get burned / I am burning / I burn myself, while καίω usually means I burn something.

Compare:

• καίω το χαρτί = I burn the paper
• καίγομαι = I get burned / I am burning

In this sentence, the speaker is not burning something else. The speaker is the one affected by the sun, so Greek uses καίγομαι.

In everyday context, especially about the sun, καίγομαι often means:

• I get sunburned
• I burn in the sun

Yes, in this context that is exactly how a learner should understand it.

Literally, καίγομαι is I get burned, but with sunscreen and skin being mentioned, the natural meaning is:

• I get sunburned easily

Greek often relies on context in cases like this. If you are talking about the beach, the sun, sunscreen, and skin, καίγομαι clearly refers to sunburn.

Εύκολα is an adverb meaning easily.

It modifies καίγομαι:

• καίγομαι εύκολα = I get burned easily

This adverb is very common and works like English easily:

• μαθαίνω εύκολα = I learn easily
• κουράζομαι εύκολα = I get tired easily

Its placement here is natural and straightforward: verb + adverb.

Το δέρμα μου is the normal Greek way to say my skin.

Breakdown:

• το δέρμα = the skin
• μου = my

Greek very often expresses possession with:

• article + noun + possessive pronoun

So:

• το βιβλίο μου = my book
• η φίλη μου = my friend
• το δέρμα μου = my skin

The little word μου is technically the weak genitive form, but for learners it is easiest to think of it as the normal way to say my after the noun.

Because the subject is το δέρμα μου, which is singular.

• το δέρμα = the skin
• πονάει = hurts

So the verb agrees with δέρμα, not with μου.

Compare:

• Το χέρι μου πονάει. = My hand hurts.
• Τα χέρια μου πονάνε. = My hands hurt.

Singular subject → singular verb.

Yes. Both πονάει and πονά are common forms of he/she/it hurts.

The verb is often given as πονάω or πονώ, and in everyday Greek you may hear:

• πονάω = I hurt / I am hurting
• πονάς = you hurt
• πονάει / πονά = it hurts

So:

• Το δέρμα μου πονάει
• Το δέρμα μου πονά

Both are natural. Πονάει is very common in everyday speech and writing.

Because Greek usually does not need subject pronouns unless there is emphasis, contrast, or a need for clarity.

The verb endings already show the subject:

• βάζω = I put
• καίγομαι = I get burned
• πονάει = it hurts

So Greek naturally says:

• Όταν δεν βάζω αντηλιακό, καίγομαι εύκολα...

not usually:

• Όταν εγώ δεν βάζω αντηλιακό, εγώ καίγομαι...

Adding εγώ would sound emphatic, like when I don’t put on sunscreen, I’m the one who gets burned.

Because Όταν δεν βάζω αντηλιακό is an introductory subordinate clause.

Greek punctuation usually separates this kind of opening time clause from the main clause:

• Όταν δεν βάζω αντηλιακό, καίγομαι εύκολα...

This is similar to English punctuation in sentences like:

• When I don’t use sunscreen, I burn easily.

So the comma helps show the structure:

1. time clause
2. main statement

In real-life meaning, yes, it is close. But grammatically, Greek here uses Όταν, which is primarily when/whenever, not the usual basic word for if.

So the nuance is:

• Όταν δεν βάζω αντηλιακό = When/Whenever I don’t put on sunscreen
• Αν δεν βάλω αντηλιακό = If I don’t put on sunscreen

The sentence with Όταν describes a repeated pattern. A sentence with Αν would focus more directly on a condition.

Yes, absolutely. It sounds natural, conversational, and idiomatic.

A Greek speaker would very naturally say:

• βάζω αντηλιακό for put on sunscreen
• καίγομαι εύκολα for burn/get sunburned easily
• το δέρμα μου πονάει for my skin hurts

So this is a very useful real-life sentence for talking about the sun, the beach, summer, and skin sensitivity.