Έβαλα αλοιφή στην παλάμη μου, γιατί έχω μια μικρή πληγή.

Έβαλα is the aorist (simple past) form of βάζω (to put).

• βάζω = I put / I am putting
• έβαλα = I put / I applied

In this sentence, the speaker is talking about one completed action in the past: they applied ointment. That is why Greek uses the aorist.

A native English speaker may expect something like I have put or I put, and Greek often uses the aorist where English might use either simple past or present perfect, depending on context.

Αλοιφή means ointment, salve, or sometimes medicated cream, depending on context.

It is a feminine noun:

• η αλοιφή = the ointment

In this sentence, αλοιφή is the thing being applied.

A learner might notice that αλοιφή ends in -ή, which is very common for feminine nouns.

Good question. Αλοιφή is the direct object of έβαλα, so it is in the accusative case. However, for this noun, the nominative and accusative singular forms are the same:

• nominative: η αλοιφή
• accusative: την αλοιφή

So even though it is grammatically in the accusative, the noun itself still appears as αλοιφή.

This is very common in Greek: sometimes the case changes only in the article, not in the noun form.

Στην is the contracted form of:

• σε = to / in / on / at
• την = the (feminine accusative singular)

So:

• σε την παλάμη → στην παλάμη

This contraction is normal and extremely common in everyday Greek.

Here, στην παλάμη means on the palm or in the palm, depending on how you think of the action in English. Greek uses σε for many location meanings that English splits into in, on, and at.

After σε / στη(ν), Greek normally uses the accusative case.

Παλάμη is a feminine noun:

• nominative: η παλάμη
• accusative: την παλάμη

Again, the noun itself stays the same, and the article shows the case:

• στην παλάμη = on the palm

So the accusative is being used, even though παλάμη looks unchanged.

In Greek, possessive words like μου (my) often come after the noun:

• η παλάμη μου = my palm
• το σπίτι μου = my house
• η αδερφή μου = my sister

This is one of the most basic and common Greek patterns.

So:

• στην παλάμη μου = on my palm

English speakers often want to say something like my palm with the possessive first, but Greek usually puts μου after the noun.

Greek uses έχω (I have) when talking about having an injury, wound, headache, problem, etc.

So:

• έχω μια πληγή = I have a wound
• έχω πονοκέφαλο = I have a headache
• έχω πρόβλημα = I have a problem

This works much like English.

Using είμαι (I am) would change the meaning completely, because είμαι is for saying what you are, where you are, how you are, and so on—not for possession.

Because πληγή is a feminine singular noun, the article and adjective must match it.

Here is the agreement:

• μια = a / one (feminine singular)
• μικρή = small (feminine singular)
• πληγή = wound (feminine singular noun)

So all three go together correctly:

• μια μικρή πληγή = a small wound

This is an important Greek rule: articles and adjectives usually agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Yes. Μια can mean:

• a / an
• one (feminine)

In this sentence, it most naturally means a:

• μια μικρή πληγή = a small wound

But Greek often uses the same word where English distinguishes between a and one. The context tells you which meaning is intended.

In Greek, adjectives can come before or sometimes after the noun, but before the noun is very common, especially in ordinary descriptions.

So:

• μια μικρή πληγή = a small wound

This is the most neutral and natural order here.

Greek word order is more flexible than English, but not completely free. In simple everyday phrases, adjective + noun is very common.

Because the sentence combines:

1. a completed action: Έβαλα αλοιφή = I applied ointment
2. a current reason/state: γιατί έχω μια μικρή πληγή = because I have a small wound

So the logic is:

• I put ointment on my palm
• because right now I have a small wound

This mix of tenses is perfectly normal. The speaker is describing a past action motivated by a present condition.

Depending on context, Greek could also use a past tense in the second clause, but the version here suggests that the wound is still there now.

Here, γιατί means because.

Greek γιατί can mean:

• why?
• because

The meaning depends on the sentence.

Examples:

• Γιατί έφυγες; = Why did you leave?
• Έφυγα γιατί ήμουν κουρασμένος. = I left because I was tired.

In your sentence, it introduces the reason, so it clearly means because.

In standard written Greek, a comma before γιατί is very common when it introduces an explanatory clause, as it does here:

• Έβαλα αλοιφή στην παλάμη μου, γιατί έχω μια μικρή πληγή.

It helps separate the main statement from the reason.

In very informal writing, punctuation may be looser, but the comma here is normal and correct.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

Évala alifí stin palámi mu, yatí ého mia mikrí pliyí.

A few useful notes:

• Έβαλα → stress on the first syllable: É-va-la
• αλοιφή → stress on the last syllable: a-loi-FÍ
• παλάμη → stress on λά: pa-LÁ-mi
• γιατί → stress on the last syllable: ya-TÍ
• έχω → stress on the first syllable: É-ho
• πληγή → stress on the last syllable: pli-YÍ

Also:

• γ before ι / ε often sounds like a soft y-like sound to English ears
• χ in έχω is not an English h exactly; it is a harsher sound, like the ch in German Bach or Scottish loch

Yes, but the meaning would be less specific.

• στην παλάμη μου = on my palm
• στο χέρι μου = on my hand / on my arm, depending on context

Παλάμη is specifically the palm of the hand, so it is the better choice if that exact area matters.

Greek often has a more specific body-part word where English might just say hand.